T  H 


UC-NRLF 


GIFT  OF 


QU01AV9 


A  Five  Years'  Fight 

against 

FIRE  WASTE 


and 


Its  Possible  Control  in  the  United  States 

by 

Fire  Prevention  and  Protection 


Comprising  a  Series  of  Addresses,  showing 
the  growth  of  an  idea  on  this  subject  within 
five  years  —  1908-12  inclusive. 


Chairman 

Fire  Prevention 

Committee 


Former   Chairman 

Fire  Prevention 

Committee 


By 


(Appointed  by  his  Honor  the  Mayor  through  the 
Director  of  Public  Safety.) 

Bureau  of  Municipal  Research,  Philadelphia 
National  Hardware  Association  of  the  United  States 
National  Sheet  Metal  Contractors  Ass'n  of  the  U.  S. 

(National  Association  of  Credit  Men 
National  Association  of  Manufacturers 


Price  25  Cents 

Copies  obtainable  from 

Merchant  &  Evans  Co. 

517  Arch  St.,  Philad'a,  Pa.,  U.S.A. 


Copyright  1912 


INTRODUCTION 

This  book  is  an  aggregate  of  five  years  of  Addresses,  De- 
tailed Studies  of  State  and  City  Machinery,  and  Newspaper 
and  Periodical  Comment  thereon — all  intended  to  illustrate  the 
size  and  phases  of  American  fire  waste  and  the  possible  means 
of  controlling  it. 

INDEX 

YEAR  PAGE 

(1)  1912  Correspondence — Powell  Evans  and  National  Fire 

Protection  Association  2 

Suggesting  change  and  broadening  of  organ- 
ization. 

(2)  1911  Address  before  Board  of  Trade,  Camden,  N.  J 12 

Urging  National,  State  and  City  organization 
of  business  men  to  fight  fire  waste. 

(3)  1912  Some  Technique  of  Fire  Waste  Control 34 

An  Address  before  Boston  Society  of  Archi- 
tects and  Pennsylvania  State  Association 
of  Architects. 

(4)  1911  "State  Fire-Prevention  Association"  Work 46 

Explaining  the  functions  and  methods  of  such 
organization. 

(5)  1912  Philadelphia  Fire-Prevention   Committee  50 

Detail  of  work  and  newspaper  comment  thereon. 

(6)  1911  Fire  Waste .  (Reprint  from  Survey   (N.  Y.)  July   i, 

1915)'  ; v  •/••:.:•  v  f. « 9* 

A  generar  discussion  -Df  "fir^e  danger  in  United 
States  and  -m^ans  to  Control  it. 

(7)  1911  Pennsylvania  (State')  arid  Philadelphia  (City)  Fire 

Marshall  Laws 112 

Text,  with  explanatory  notes,  and  newspaper 
and  other  comment. 

(8)  1911  Remarks  before  City  Club,  Philadelphia,  on  Local 

Fire  Danger  134 

Substance  of  evidence  before  New  York  Legis- 
lative Investigating  Committee. 

(9)  1911  and  1912  Fire-Prevention  and  Protection,  New  York 

State  and  City 143 

Comment  on  State  Fire  Marshall  Bill,  City  Fire 
Prevention  Bureau  and  proposed  new  city 
Building  Code. 

(10)  1909  Fire  Insurance  and  Prevention  as  Related  to  Credit    153 

Address  before  Fire  Underwriters  Association 
of  the  Northwest,  at  Chicago. 

(n)  1908  Fire  Waste  and  Prevention 168 

An  address  before  First  Conservation  Congress, 
White  House. 


POWELL  EVANS,    Prest.. 

T,N     PLATE 


NEwYoRK  CITY 
CHICAGO 
BROOKLYN 
Wheeling 


SUCCESSOR  TO   MERCHANT  &  CO..  INC. 


fe)  S  M  E  L.TE  R  S  & 

I  MANUFACTURERS.      IMPORTERS.      JOBBERS^ 


BALTIMORE, 
KANSAS -CITY 
DENVER 
Cleveland 


TIN   STERNE    PLATES    I      STAR  VENTS      I   BRASS  &  COPPER    ALL    FORMS    ';.   PRESSED   STEEL  TIRE  CASES"HELE  SHAW  CLUTCHES 
SHEETSTEEL.GALVIRON        ROOFING  TILES     jl   BA6SITTS.  SOLDERS.  TYPE  METALS    |! A  XLE  5.  TRAN5M  I  SSIONS 


517  ARCH  STREET 


v,  May  15th;   1912. 


FOREWORD  TO  THE   PUBLIC; 

American  fire-waste  is  an  annual  national  calamity  - 

The  aggregate  of  fire  losses  occurring  throughout  the   different   states- 
principally  in  the  municipalities  within  these  states. 

ALL   AOREtMENTS   SUBJECT  TO    STRIKES,    ACCIDENTS  OR  CAUSES   9EVOND  OUR  CONTROL    WE  WILL  NOT  BE  LIABLE    fOR  CONSEQUENTIAL  0AM  AOCS. 
NOR  CAN  ANY    MATERIAL    BE  RETURNED  WITHOUT  OUR  CONSEMT 

As  the  loss  is  national  in  fact,   the  control  should  be 
national  -  but   it   is  not   and  cannot  be  under  our  gove  rnment  . 

The  only  relief  possible   is  uniform  action  by  all  the 
states  and  their  cities. 

This  book  is  intended  to  illustrate  the  method  (which 
has  worked  successfully  so  far  in  practice  in  Pennsylvania  and  Phila- 
delphia)  of  advancing  within  recent  years  an  abstract  objection  against 
fire-waste  of  life  and  property  towards  concrete  detailed  control  of 
this  abuse. 

Citizens  of  any  other  state  and  city  can  organize  and 
successfully  accomplish  such  a  program  in  their  respective   locations, 
and  possibly  better  it. 

A  national  movement  .to  "unis  endf  organized  into  State 

branches  and  Municipal  sub-branches)   equipped  with  legal  and  engineering 
personnel  -  to  study  the  laws  and  the   facts  everywhere;  and  prepare  i' 
advance,  procure,   organize  and  enforce  uniform  practical  legislation 
throughout   the  country  -  is  now   imperatively  needed,   as  the   following 
subject  matter  attempts  to  prove  conclusively, 


Respectfully-/ 


Chairman,  (  City  of  Philadelphia 

Fire  Prevention  (  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research   ( 

Committee  (  National  Hardware  Association 

(  National  Ass'n  Sheet  Metal  C 
Former  Chairman 

Fire  Prevention  (  National  Association  of  Credit  Men 

Committee  (  National  Ass'n  of  Manufacturers* 


'rs  of  Tff.S, 


NOTE  -  The  latest  work  is  first  printed  herein,  and  the  older  ones  in 
order  backwards.  Some  repetition  in  the  subject  matter  was  unavoid- 
able. 


250785 


THE    FOLLOWING    CORRESPONDENCE 

Led  Up  to  the  Proposals  Given  in  the  Letter  Immediately 
Below,  Which  Proposals  Cover  Important  Matters 
Considered  in  This  Book 

PHILADELPHIA,  May  3,  1912. 
NATIONAL  FIRE  PROTECTION  ASSOCIATION, 

MR.  FRANKLIN  H.  WENTWORTH,  SEC'Y, 

BOSTON,  MASS. 
Dear  Mr.  Wentworth: 

I  regret  this  tardy  reply  to  your  letter  of  April  6th,  but  have 
been  unable  to  formulate  it  earlier.  I  will  attend  the  forthcoming 
Annual  Meeting  in  Chicago,  and  ask  that  you  give  opportunity 
for  consideration  of  the  following  three  propositions : — 

1.  The  establishment  of  a  Legislation  &  Publicity  Division 
of  the  N.  F.  P.  A.   (national  in  scope,)  with  State  branches  and 
Municipal  sub-branches   (composed,  more  than  one-half,  of  your 
Trade  Association  active  members) — to  study  and  prepare  legally 
and  physically,  and  get  enacted  and  enforced,  substantially  uni- 
form State  ana  City  legislation  throughout  the  country,  to  control 
fire-waste  of  life  and  property. 

2.  The  preparation  and  adoption  of  "Compulsory"  standard 
of  fire  prevention  and  protection  apparatus,  based  on  the  lowest 
reasonable  requirements  as  measured  by  field  and  laboratory  experi- 
ence of  the  last  ten  years,  for  incorporation  into  'State  laws  and 
Municipal  ordinances — to  bear  as  lightly  as  possible  on  the  public, 
forced   in   numbers  by   such   legislation  to  such   expense   for  the 
common  welfare.     I  have  to-day  written  Mr.  E.  P.  Boone,  New 
York  City,  proper  N.  F.  P.  A.  Chairman  on  this  subject. 

3.  The  advocacy  of  a  legally  enforced  universal  and  periodic 
(annual)   occupancy  and  housekeeping  license  in  at  least  all  con- 
gested areas  of  cities  as  to  persons,  pursuits  and  property  housed 
in  all  buildings  within  defined  geographical  lines. 

At  this  time  of  widespread  discussion,  agitation  and  con- 
structive legislation  against  fire-waste,  this  Association  should  in 
my  opinion  clearly  define  its  position  in  these  matters.  I  have 
written  Mr.  Merrill,  Prest,  N.  F.  P.  A.  to-day  enclosing  copy 
of  this  letter. 

As  Chairman  of  the  Philadelphia  Fire  Prevention  Committee 
recently  appointed  by  the  Mayor  of  this  City  through  the  Dept. 
of  Public  Safety,  I  am  particularly  interested  in  action  on  the  two 
last  named  above  propositions. 

Yours  truly, 
POWELL  EVANS 

Chairman,  Fire  Prevention  Committee 
NATIONAL  HARDWARE  ASSOCIATION 
NATIONAL  ASS'N  SHEET  METAL  CONTRACTORS 

P.  S. — In  order  to  present  these  matters  as  clearly  as  possible  with  full 
reason  therefor,  I  have  incorporated  my  work  on  Fire-waste  for  the  past  five 
years — together  with  this  correspondence — in  a  pamphlet  for  distribution  at  the 
approaching  meeting.  I  attended  these  meetings  from  1900  to  1906. 


NATIONAL  FIRE  PROTECTION  ASSOCIATION. 


of  Fire      New  York  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters, 

,  New  York  Fire  Insurance  Exchange, 

Louisville  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  North  uurolma  Fire  Prevention  Association, 


inglneors,  Louisville  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters, 

ASorican  W»ter»1?o?k"'A39»^lnti!dn!'<>n'  Massachusetts  Aasoclau[n''of^MuDi>cip<Ll  Electrical    So™  ScotialloSIf  ot'Sre  Underw>riter8>O 

Ass'd.  Factory  Mut.  Fire  Ins  Oo.'s  Insp   Bureau,  Inspectors,  Ohio  Inspection  Bureau, 

Association  of  Fire  Underwriters  of  Baltimore  City,  Massacliusolts  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Union,  Ohio  Slate  Fire  Prevention  Association, 

Board  of  Fire  I'M-I.T  *:  I'.TS  <•:  Allegheny  County,  Michigan  Inspection  Bureau,  Oklahoma  Inspection  Bureau, 

Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  of  the  Pacific,  Michigan  Sure  Fire  Prevention  Association.  Philadelphia  Kirc  Underwrite 

Board  of  Firo  Underwriters  of  Territory  of  Hawaii,  Milwaukee  Board  of  Firn  Underwriters,  Philadelphia  Suburban  Under 


, 

,  .  iters'  Association, 

Board  of  Firo  Underwriters  of  Territory  of  Hawaii,      Milwaukee  Board  of  Firn  Underwriters,  Philadelphia  Suburban  Underwriters'  Assn., 

Boston  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters.  Minnesota  State  Kire  Prevention  Association,  Rocky  Mountain  Fire  Underwriters'  Association, 

Buffalo  Association  of  Fire  Underwriters,  Mii.N-ippi  Inspection  and  Advisory  Baling  Co,  Royal  Architectural  Institute  of  Canada,  The 

Bureau  for  Safe  Tran-spo  nation  of  Explosives,  v  ,\  Bureau,  South  Carolina  State  Fire  Prevention  Association, 

Canadian  Fire  Underwriters'  Association.  Missouri  Kite  Prevention  Association,  South  Dakota  state  Fire  Prevention  Association, 

'  Mutu.il  fire  Prevention  Bureau,  South  Eastern  UnderwrtUr*  Association. 

National  Assn.  of  Cement  Users,  St.  Louis  Fire  Prevention  Bureau. 

National  Assn.  of  Credit  Men.  Suburban  Fire  Insurance  Exchange, 

National  Assn.  of  F.lectrical  Inspectors,  Tennessee  Inspection  Bureau, 

National  Assn.  of  Local  Fire  Ins.  Agents,  Tbe  Texas  File  Prevention  Association. 

National  Association  ,,f  MH,<  .r,,.  -tniera  of  U.  S.  The  Union, 

,  National  Assn.  Master  Gravel  and  Slag  Rooters  of    Underwriters'  Assn.  of  the  Middle  Department. 

Factory  Mutual  Laboratories  America,  Underwriters'  Association  of  New  York  State. 

Fire  Underwriters'  Electrical  Bureau.  National  Assn.  of  Sheet  Metal  Contractors  of  U.  S,       Underwriters'  Bureau  Middle  and  Southern  St»t«i. 

Ftre  Underwriters'  Inspection  Bureau,  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  Underwriters'  Bureau  of  New  England. 

Hudson  Inspection  Bureau,  National  Electrical  I  OatimX    r  ,'  A,  relation,  Underwiiters'  Laboratories,  Inc., 

Illinois  Inspection  Bureau,  National  Electric  Light  Association,  Virginia  Fire  Prevention  Association. 

Indiana  Inspection  Bureau.  National  Hardware  Association  of  IT.  S.,  Tho  Western  Actuarial  Bureau  (Fire), 

Insurance  Association  of  Providence.  National  Paint,  Oil  &  Varnish  Association.  Western  Canada  Fire  Underwriters1  Association, 

International  Acetylene  Association.  Nebraska  Inspection  Bureau.  Western  Factory  Insurance  Association, 

International  Association  of  Fire  Engineers.  Nebraska  stat-  KM,    I'i.  .    im.m  Association.  Western  Sprlnkleri-d  Risk  Association, 

Iowa  State  Fire  Prevention  Association.  Newark  Inspection  Bureau,  West  Virginia  Fire  Underwriters'  Association, 

Kansas  Fire  Insurance  Inspection  Office,  New  Brunswick  Board  <>t  Fire  Underwriters,  West  Virginia  Inspection  Bureau, 

New  England  Bureau  of  United  Inspection,  Wisconsin  Inspection  Bureau. 

New  England  Insurance  Exchange.  Wisconsin  State  Fire  Prevention  Association. 

New  Hampshire  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters, 


87  Milk  Street,  ty''™   April  6.  1912. 


Mr.  Powell  Evans, 

517  Arch  Street, 

Philadelphia,  Pa.. 

My  dear  Mr.  Evans: -- 

I  have  been  seeking  a  half  hour  not  crowded,  with  more 

imperative  obligations  to  read,  digest  and  reply  to  your  very  interesting 
letter  of  March  29th.   As  I  note  your  desire  to  receive  a  reply  to  the  same 
before  April  9th,  I  am  taking  it  up  today,  although  I  may  wish  to  write  you 
further  on  certain  points  after,  its  more  leisurely  .perusal  end  consideration. 
First,  as  to  the  matter  of  underwriting  problems  in  connection  with  our 
work.   You  are  quite  right  that  fire  waste  and  underwriting  are  too  close 
together  "to  absolutely  sever.   I  presumed  upon  a  familiarity  on  your  part 
with  the  long  established  unwritten  laws  of  the  Association,  but  on  second 
thought  I  do  not  remember  ever  seeing  you  at "one  of  our  annual  meetings. 
We  found  some  years  ago  that  the  injection  of  underwriting  matters  into  our 
conventions  invariably  precipitated  a  discussion  of  rates  and  that  these 
discussions  impaired  the  value  of  our  meetings  from  an  engineering  point  of 
view.   You  know  of  course  that  for  many  years  we  were  simply  an  engineering 
body  making  standards  for  fire  prevention  and  protection.   Our  7*ork  of 
public  education  is  a  development  of  the  last  three  years.   When  I  under- 
took to  make  speeches  on  the  fire  waste  on  behalf  of  our  Association,  the 
Executive  Committee  suggested  that  in  my  public  work  I  emphasize  the 
statistics  of  the  fire  waste  and  the  methods  by  which  it  might  be  curtailed, 
without  allowing  myself  to  be  drawn  into  a  discussion  of  rates.   When. 


therefore,  I  asked  you  to  come  to  Boston  to  speak,  I  simply 
passed  the  counsel  which  had  been  given  me  along  to  you 
without  the  explanation  I  should  have  made.  I  have  found 
in  my  own  work  that  what  you  say  is  true, — that  one  cannot 
in  speaking  on  the  fire  waste  ignore  absolutely  the  under- 
writing aspects  of  it,  and  I  believe  with  you  that  all  those 
who  speak  on  this  subject  should  be  at  liberty  to  refer  to  it, 
as  you  say,  fairly,  honestly  and  temperately.  So  much  for 
that  point. 

It  is  true  that  the  general  public  assumes  that  the  N. 
F.  P.  A.  is  an  insurance  organization.  In  a  sense  it  is, 
because  all  the  standards  put  out  by  us  have  been  labori- 
ously compiled  by  the  engineers  in  the  employ  of  the  under- 
writers. If  this  contribution  had  not  been  freely  made  by 
the  latter,  we  never  would  have  had  any  standards.  Our 
membership,  however,  is  so  rapidly  broadening  that  I  feel 
we  are  justified  in  declaring  that  we  are  not  an  underwrit- 
ing organization  in  our  work  of  publicity,  and  such  cam- 
paigns as  that  of  the  Credit  Men  will  go  far  to  bring  the 
country  to  this  recognition  of  us  and  make  our  increase  of 
membership  among  non-insurance  people  more  rapid  as  the 
years  go  on.  My  feeling  was  that  your  activity  might  pos- 
sibly be  more  effective,  expressed  through  channels  of  the 
N.  F.  P.  A.  instead  of  through  a  separate  organization  as 
suggested  in  your  Camden  speech.  I  am  open  to  convic- 
tion, however,  that  your  own  idea  may  be  the  best.  I  ap- 
preciate immensely  the  personal  contribution  you  have  made 
to  the  cause,  and  are  yet  making.  I  feel,  however,  that  one 
would  not  be  more  justified  in  declaring  that  the  N.  F.  P.  A. 
was  an  insurance  organization  than  one  would  be  in  declar- 
ing that  your  committee  to  study  the  fire  waste  in  Philadel- 
phia was  an  insurance  organization,  because  33  per  cent, 
was  typified  by  Mr.  Hexamer.  An  organization  should  be 
judged  by  its  object,  and  if  that  object  typifies  a  large  out- 
look and  broad  public  policy,  it  should  be  taken  on  its 
merits.  Can  you  point  to  any  special  work  we  have  done  in 
the  line  of  publicity,  since  we  began  our  campaign,  which 
appears  to  have  been  put  forward  from  an  underwriting 
viewpoint? 

I  am  passing  your  remarks  regarding  the  Underwriters' 
Laboratories  to  Manager  Merrill,  of  that  institution,  and 
enclosing  you  copy  of  the  letter  I  have  just  dictated.  You 
will  undoubtedly  hear  from  him  direct. 

I  am  greatly  interested  in  what  you  say  regarding  the 
use  of  the  automatic  sprinkler  under  state  or  municipal 
compulsion.  Our  Committee  on  Automatic  Sprinklers  is 
to  revise  or  amend  the  sprinkler  rules  this  year.  The  time 


is,  therefore,  strikingly  opportune  to  secure  the  considera- 
tion of  the  points  you  raise  at  our  annual  meeting.  Rather, 
therefore,  than  continue  the  suggestion  that  you  appear  on 
our  program  formally  as  a  speaker,  it  seems  to  me  espe- 
cially desirable  that  you,  as  a  representative  of  two  of  our 
active  members,  should  put  up  to  the  chairman  of  our  Com- 
mittee on  Automatic  Sprinklers,  Mr.  E.  P.  Boone,  of  123 
William  Street,  New  York,  the  problem  as  you  express  it 
in  your  letter  to  me,  making  such  recommendations  as  you 
would  like  to  see  made  effective,  and  then  come  to  the  an- 
nual meeting  at  Chicago  and  fight  for  your  contentions  on 
the  floor  of  the  convention.  I  agree  with  you  that  the  N. 
F.  P.  A.  should  be  a  leader  in  grappling  with  these  impor- 
tant developments,  but  you,  yourself,  are  a  member  of  our 
Association  and  owe  it  to  that  body,  as  a  member,  to  do 
all  you  can  to  insure  that  leadership. 

I  shall  greatly  hope  to  hear  from  you  to  the  effect  that 
you  will  approach  the  committee  above  referred  to  in  the 
manner  suggested,  and  let  us  have  the  points  raised  by  you 
well  thrashed  out  at  the  annual  meeting  with  yourself  pres- 
ent as  the  champion  of  the  measures  you  advocate. 

The  other  important  points  in  your  letter  can  be  con- 
sidered later. 

With  kind  regards  and  much  appreciation  of  your  in- 
terest, 

Very  truly  yours, 

FRANKLIN  H.  WENTWORTH 

Secretary. 
FHW/L. 
Enc. 


March  29th,  1912. 
MR.  FRANKLIN  H.  WENTWORTH,  SEC'Y, 

NATIONAL  FIRE  PROTECTION  ASSOCIATION, 

87  MILK  STREET,  BOSTON,  MASS. 
My  dear  Mr.  Wentworth: 

Although  I  promised  to  send  you  by  the  loth  of  March, 
or  soon  thereafter,  the  text  of  certain  remarks  made  by  me 
to  the  Boston  Architects  on  February  6th,  as  further  illus- 
trating the  thoughts  I  have  on  the  line  of  effort  which 
should  be  followed  to  reduce  fire  waste  in  this  country, — 
all  this  in  reply  to  the  two  notes  received  from  you  while 
on  your  Western  speech-making  tour, — I  have  been  unable 
to  do  this  as  yet  on  account  of  press  of  business  and  numer- 
ous absences  from  the  city. 


The  Pennsylvania  State  Association  of  The  American 
Institute  of  Architects  has  asked  me  to  attend  their  Fourth 
Annual  Meeting  in  Philadelphia  on  April  Qth,  during  the 
afternoon  session  which  will  be  devoted  to  a  discussion  on 
improvements  in  building  construction,  and  in  talking  to 
this  body,  I  want  to  be  quite  clear  in  any  suggestions  I 
make,  hence,  I  am  writing  you  now  about  this  general  sub- 
ject and  hope  to  have  your  reply  in  due  course  before  April 
Qth.  Your  letters  of  January  i6th,  26th  and  February  3rd 
are  the  ones  referred  to. 

I  made  the  trip  to  Boston  as  you  now  know  and  was  glad 
to  see  Mr.  Goddard  there. 

I  cannot  exactly  agree  to  the  view  given  in  your  letter 
of  Jan'y  i6th,  that  no  mention  of  underwriting  matters 
should  be  made  on  any  talk  about  fire  waste,  because  the 
question  of  underwriting  can  no  more  be  disassociated  from 
fire  waste  than  any  other  phase  of  its  environment.  Dif- 
ferent minds  hold  different  views  and  think  along  different 
lines,  and  the  whole  question  of  fire  waste  must  necessarily 
be  viewed  and  treated  differently  by  different  individuals, 
and  there  should  be  no  objection  to  this,  no  matter  who  or 
what  is  touched,  so  long  as  this  is  done  fairly,  honestly  and 
temperately. 

You  will  recall  also  that  the  active  members  of  the  N. 
F.  P.  A.  have  different  view-points  and  different  experi- 
ences, and  that  representatives  of  these  active  members  are 
justified  in  discussing  fire  waste  at  every  angle  from  the 
standpoint  of  those  they  primarily  represent;  and  finally 
that  one  of  the  fundamental  tenets  of  the  N.  F.  P.  A.  is, 
that  no  member  is  limited  in  his  views  or  actions  by  joining 
this  Association. 

I  do  not  believe  that  control  of  fire  waste  in  this  coun- 
try can  ever  be  adequately  accomplished  by  insurance  inter- 
ests alone  but  enforcement  of  'minimum  requirement  laws 
on  behalf  of  the  states  and  municipalities  will  materially 
and  permanently  better  the  situation.  The  great  question 
is,  who  will  work  out  such  program  and  how? 

In  my  Camden  Board  of  Trade  remarks  I  outlined 
reasons,  which  still  appeal  to  me,  why  such  a  program  is 
measurably  put  at  a  disadvantage  when  presented  by  insur- 
ance organizations.  You  may  take  the  position  that  the 
N.  F.  P.  A.  is  not  an  underwriting  organization  but  admit- 
tedly 90%  of  its  membership — and  that  the  controlling  part 
of  it — is  made  up  of  underwriting  organizations  and  so 
absolutely  identified  with  underwriting  organizations  as 
to  leave  no  recognizable  line  of  difference  so  far  as  the  ordi- 

6 


nary  citizen  can  see;  hence  it  stands  out  to  the  average 
mind  of  the  average  citizen  as  a  part  of  the  insurance  whole. 

If  I  am  right  in  this  view,  then  for  questions  of  policy 
alone  the  preparation  and  advancement  of  uniform  legisla- 
tion to  control  fire  waste  in  this  country  could  wisely  come 
through  channels  not  identified  with  insurance  activity. 

Recently  the  Director  of  Public  Safety  of  this  city 
called  for  help,  to  study  the  fire  waste  question  in  Philadel- 
phia and,  in  answer  to  this  call,  Mr.  Hexamer,  Secretary  of 
your  local  Board,  Dr.  Burks,  Director  of  the  Philadelphia 
Bureau  of  Municipal  Research,  and  I,  got  together  to  make 
the  study. 

We  had  first  of  all  a  student  organization ;  second  an 
insurance  experience,  and  third  a  lay  commercial  experience 
associated  in  this  work.  It  was  necessary  to  pay  for  cer- 
tain assistance  to  make  this  study  legally  and  physically, 
and  we  had  to  raise  $450.00  by  private  subscription  to  carry 
out  this  work.  I  am  sending  you  under  separate  cover  a 
copy  of  this  report  which  kindly  return  to  me  promptly. 

Now  I  don't  know  of  any  machinery  in  insurance  or- 
ganizations to-day  that  alone  could  do  this  sort  of  work, 
not  only  in  any  one  city  but  throughout  the  country,  yet 
such  machinery  must  be  found  and  set  in  motion  to  accom- 
plish the  results  that  we  all  agree  should  be  accomplished. 
So  these  two  great  questions  of  policy  and  of  actual  machinery 
to  carry  out  the  policy  are  the  ones  now  to  be  fairly  meas- 
ured. 

If  you  feel  that  the  N.  F.  P.  A.  would  undertake  to  or- 
ganize a  division  of  its  work  for  the  study  and  promotion 
of  legislation  and  education  to  reduce  fire  waste,  and  that 
the  N.  F.  P.  A.  would  be  willing  to  turn  such  a  committee 
over  to  the  control  of  its  Trade  active  members,  and  will 
appropriate  some  of  its  funds  to  organize  a  bureau  for  the 
legal  and  physical  research  necessary  to  start  such  work, 
and  would  give  proper  publicity  in  its  Quarterly  and 
through  other  channels  to  inform  the  public  about  this 
work,  it  might  be  that  the  consolidation  of  energies  against 
the  common  enemy  of  fire  would  travel  faster  and  more 
strongly  than  a  division  of  this  effort. 

I  am  convinced,  however,  that  unless  a  more  effective 
alliance  can  be  worked  out  between  insurance  buyers  and 
insurance  sellers  for  uniform  betterment  of  fire  waste  over 
the  country,  that  this  fire  waste  will  not  get  better  but  be- 
come even  worse.  If  some  such  step  as  above  referred  to 
were  feasible,  then  I  should  say  your  Quarterly  should  be 
turned  into  a  more  or  less  popular  form  of  Monthly  Maga- 
zine for  very  much  larger  distribution,  the  Quarterly  issues 


caring  only  for  the  more  technical  phases  of  the  work. 
There  is  no  reason  why  such  a  magazine  should  not  have 
a  million  subscribers  in  this  country  within  the  next  five 
years  if  properly  edited  and  pushed  unanimously  by  all  in- 
surance and  trade  organizations.  It  does  no  good  to  have 
a  doctrine,  no  matter  how  excellent,  unless  that  doctrine  can 
be  brought  home  to  the  average  person  concerned  and  have 
a  chance  to  make  converts,  and  working  converts  at  that. 
If  such  a  coalition  as  above  suggested  were  feasible  the 
Trade  Associations  becoming  active  in  this  work  might  be- 
come friendly  graduates  of  your  Insurance  Organizations 
and  spread  the  doctrine  of  fire  prevention  in  their  own  fields. 

I  think  possibly  that  the  present  method  of  adminis- 
tering the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  could,  with  advan- 
tage to  itself,  be  criticised  and  corrected  in  a  measure.  I 
am  satisfied  that  as  now  operated  they  do  not  with  ade- 
quate speed  pass  upon  a  question  submitted  to  them,  and 
that  they  are  in  a  measure  arbitrary  and  unreasonable  in 
the  way  they  initiate  inspection  of  work  entrusted  to  them 
and  send  through  unexplained  bills  to  their  clients  for  unau- 
thorized work. 

As  the  great  centre  of  physical  research  in  suppressing 
fire  waste  the  laboratories  should  be  so  keenly  and  reason- 
ably conducted  as  to  attract  and  not  repel  anything  that 
touches  the  problem,  and  a  little  kindly  criticism  at  this 
time  is  due  them  under  their  present  methods. 

There  is  another  matter  of  broad  interest  and  impor- 
tance which  is  pressing  insistently  now  for  consideration 
and  readjustment.  The  admitted  sound  field  for  the  use 
of  the  automatic  sprinkler  has  become  so  generally  proven 
and  recognized  as  to  be  the  subject  more  and  more  exten- 
sively of  municipal  and  state  legislation,  compelling  the  use 
of  sprinkler  systems  in  congested  building  areas. 

A  bill  to  this  effect  is  now  pending  before  the  Massa- 
chusetts Legislature;  a  similar  measure  is  now  in  force 
in  New  York  City;  a  similar  measure  is  up  for  action  as 
an  ordinance  before  the  City  Government  of  Chicago ;  and 
the  application  of  sprinklers  in  theatres,  portions  of  hotels 
and  like  structures  is  already  mandatory  in  St.  Louis,  here, 
and  in  other  cities. 

I  raised  the  point  in  detail  before  the  Boston  Archi- 
tects as  to  the  propriety  of  considering  at  this  time  a  lower 
standard  for  sprinkler  installation  when  compulsory  than 
that  now  generally  known  as  the  Underwriters'  Standard. 

The  experience  of  a  generation  has  shown  that  90% 
of  fires  are  extinguished  by  sprinkler  systems  in  the  relative 
incipiency  of  the  fire  with  ten  or  less  sprinkler  heads  open. 

8 


Obviously  therefore  with  connections,  pumps,  tanks  and 
reservoirs  which  will  care  for  ten  or  less  heads  at  the  same 
time  would  extinguish  90%  of  fires  based  on  a  twenty-five 
year  average.  Obviously  therefore  buildings  only  equipped 
to  this  extent  would  be  infinitely  better  multiplied  through- 
out cities  under  pressure  of  legal  requirements  than  the 
omission  of  sprinkler  systems  almost  entirely  as  is  now 
virtually  the  rule  everywhere ; — in  Boston,  for  instance,  less 
than  3%  of  buildings  in  the  city  centre  being  equipped. 

Therefore,  if  under  such  laws  what  might  be  called  a 
compulsory  standard  were  adopted,  it  would  be  much  fairer 
to  property  owners  in  cities  because  requiring  so  much  less 
investment  on  the  average.  In  many  cases  surveys  here 
indicate  that  the  heavy  piping  and  accessories  add  often 
as  much  as  100%  to  the  cost  of  the  system.  There  should 
be  no  need,  under  the  experience  above  cited,  for  ever  using 
bulk  pipe  in  any  building  larger  than  3  inch.  If  any  sprin- 
kler system,  even  under  this  compulsory  schedule,  is  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  the  Underwriters  and  secure  the 
lowest  rate  of  insurance,  then  the  Underwriters  by  the  rate 
power  they  wield  can  demand  the  present  Underwriters' 
Standard — which  may  be  called  a  voluntary  standard — and 
it  is  up  to  the  property  owner  either  to  put  in  this  highest 
(taking  lowest  Insurance  rate)  standard  or  not  as  his  inter- 
est determines ;  but  the  minimum  or  compulsory  standard 
should  be  just  as  fair  as  possible  in  first  cost  to  the  prop- 
erty owner  and  as  low  as  the  average  experience  in  sprinkler 
systems  permits. 

Again,  in  congested  city  areas  where  the  greatest  dan- 
ger exists,  there  is  a  gradual  development  of  high  pressure 
water  service.  The  present  Underwriters'  Standard  pro- 
hibits any  smaller  connection  to  water  supply  than  4". 
Obviously  a  great  number  of  4"  connections  to  a  high 
pressure  system  would  introduce  so  much  danger  in  event 
of  breakage  or  leakage  of  any  of  these  connections  that  the 
connection  becomes  inadvisable  no  matter  how  many  sprinkler 
systems  are  in  service. 

Hence,  under  present  rules  high  pressure  water  sup- 
plies cannot  be  supplied  for  sprinker  or  distribution  systems. 
Now  4"  connections  are  not  required  to  feed  this  90% 
average  of  10  or  less  sprinkler  heads.  One  inch  connections 
only  would  be  necessary  provided  a  good  strainer  and 
pressure  regulator  combined  were  put  at  the  bottom  of 
this  i"  pipe  and  i"  connections  could  be  safely  multiplied 
without  unduly  endangering  materially  the  high  pressure 
service.  The  compulsory  or  minimum  sprinkler  standard 
demanded  by  law  should,  in  my  best  judgment  to-day,  call 


throughout  only  for  Underwriters'  devices,  and  substanti- 
ally Underwriters'  head — spacing  and  valve  requirements; 
but  the  pipe  sizes  should  be  brought  down  to  provide  for 
only  say  20%  instead  of  50%  capacity;  and  the  pumps, 
tanks  and  water  connections  should  follow  the  reduction 
in  pipe  size;  and  particularly  the  high  pressure  water  con- 
nections should  be  reduced  to  i"  with  approved  strainer- 
regulator  service  to  insure  proper  movement  of  the  water 
through  this  small  distribution. 

When  the  State  or  Municipality  finds  an  agency  so 
thoroughly  proven  in  service  and  so  reasonable  in  first 
cost  as  the  sprinkler  system  can  be  made  on  its  average 
requirements,  the  time  has  come  in  the  face  of  existing 
American  fire  waste  where  the  State  and  City  can  reason- 
ably impose  on  citizens  in  congested  areas  a  mandatory 
requirement  for  this  protection  against  fire — along  with 
other  reasonable  requirements  as  to  building  construction, 
occupancy  and  housekeeping;  but  when  the  State  or  City 
goes  this  far  it  should  see  to  it  that  the  citizen  is  protected 
in  the  cost  of  what  he  is  forced  to  buy. 

As  far  as  I  am  concerned,  it  would  suit  me  if  the  State 
or  a  number  of  States  were  to  themselves  manufacture 
sprinkler  heads,  only  I  think  that  a  private  enterprise  can 
do  this  better  under  the  American  system  of  living;  but 
I  am  willing  to  take  my  competitive  chance  under  such 
a  regime  as  outlined  above  and  to  remain  in  this  business, 
while  insuring  only  a  proper  charge  for  devices  or  systems 
to  the  public — if  the  States  and  Cities  make  the  purchase 
of  devices  or  systems  obligatory.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
important  actual  commercial  considerations  in  relation  to 
fire  prevention  before  you  to-day ;  and  the  N.  F.  P.  A. 
should  be  a  leader  instead  of  a  follower  in  a  movement  to 
regulate  reasonably  this  new  situation,  particularly  as  a 
strong  minority  of  the  personnel  of  the  N.  F.  P.  A.  has 
for  years  felt  in  a  measure  about  standards  as  I  have  here 
outlined. 

I  would  be  glad  to  have  your  reply  to  this  letter  before 
April  Qth  so  that  there  is  time  to  communicate  with  Mr. 
Merrill  if  you  so  desire  before  answering  me.  If  an  expres- 
sion of  such  views  would  be  welcome  on  the  floor  at  the 
Annual  Meeting  of  the  N.  F.  P.  A.  I  will  be  very  glad  to 
go  to  Chicago  at  that  time. 

Yours  very  truly, 

POWELL  EVANS 


10 


FARGO,  N.  DAK.,  Feby.  3,  1912 
MR.  POWELL  EVANS 

517  Arch  St.,  Phila. 

Dear  Mr.  Evans : 

Mr.  Meek  (former  Secretary,  now  Vice  President  Na- 
tional Association  Credit  Men)  and  I  read  your  Camden 
Board  of  Trade  speech  of  Nov.  I4th,  together  yesterday  on 
the  Nor.  Pac.  train,  and  discussed  at  length  your  plan  of  a 
new  organization.  We  are  not  sure  but  that  you  might  get 
an  equally  effecting  result  through  the  creation  of  a  special 
committee  of  the  N.  F.  P.  A.  of  which  you,  as  the  represen- 
tative of  several  active  members,  might  be  chairman.  The 
N.  F.  P.  A.  is  not  an  insurance  organization.  It  has  that 
aspect  simply  because  we  have  never  been  able  to  get  sub- 
stantial help  from  any  other  direction. 

I  shall  be  in  N.  Y.  in  about  six  weeks  and  would  like  very 
much  to  talk  over  this  matter  with  you.  There  is  no  reason 
why  the  N.  F.  P.  A.  should  not  be  in  every  sense  a  national 
organization,  wedded  to  no  special  interest,  whatever.  I  am 
doing  my  utmost  to  increase  our  membership  to  that  end. 
Sincerely, 

FRANKLIN  H.  WENTWORTH 

87  Milk  St. 

Boston 


II 


An  Address  Urging  National,  State  and  City  Organization 
of  Business  Men  to  Fight  Fire  Waste 

November  14,  1911. 
BOARD  OF  TRADE, 

CAMDEN,  NEW  JERSEY. 
Gentlemen: 

Your  kind  invitation  to  speak  on  Fire  Waste  at  your 
Meeting,  following  as  it  does  an  earlier  one  this  Spring — 
which  absence  from  the  country  did  not  permit  me  to  accept — 
shows  a  confidence  in  my  interest  and  perhaps  knowledge  of 
the  subject,  which  may  possibly  in  the  latter  respect  be  mis- 
placed. I  certainly  appreciate  the  compliment  and  will  do  my 
best  to  warrant  it.  Some  offerings,  however,  are  burdens 
rather  than  blessings,  as  was  the  case  with  a  friend  of  mine 
interested  in  an  Old  Ladies'  Home,  who  applied  to  a  well- 
known  capitalist  for  a  donation.  "Certainly,"  was  the  prompt 
reply,  "I  will  donate  two  old  ladies." 

What  you  want  is  real  enlightenment  about  United  States 
fire  waste  and  not  incomplete  half  truths  which  will  make  the 
subject  more  obscure.  You  do  well  to  study  this  matter,  and 
you  will  do  better  to  play  an  active  part  in  your  State  and 
City  hereafter  to  help  suppress  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
useless  drains  on  American  prosperity  of  all  the  many  that 
exist. 

The  basic,  undisputed  facts  are  as  follows: 

Last  year's  fire  loss  was  214  millions  of  dollars,  approxi- 
mately the  average  of  216  millions  for  the  ten  years — 1900- 
1909  inclusive.  If  the  related  expenses  of  Fire  Departments 
and  protection  were  added  the  total  loss  would  increase  to 
approximately  400  millions.  This  would  roughly  average 
$3.00  per  capita — vs.  about  33C.  for  Western  Europe.  Insur- 
ance costs  us  about  one  per  cent,  on  the  average  vs.  one-tenth 
of  one  per  cent,  for  Western  Europe. 

In  other  words,  our  fire  waste,  and  our  cost  for  insurance, 
are  both  about  ten  times  like  averages  for  Western  Europe. 

Of  our  fire  losses  about  20%  are  made  up  from  arson 
and  over-insurance  and  exaggerated  settlements;  and  about 
30%  more  from  individual  carelessness,  indifference  and  dirty 
housekeeping — or  "personal  responsibility." 

Poor  physical  condition  of  construction,  protection  and 
occupancy  of  properties  would  account  for  another  25%. 

All  authorities  agree  that  fully  two-thirds  of  all  losses  are 
preventable.  United  States  life  loss  from  fire  averages  about 

12 


1500  killed  and  5000  badly  injured  per  annum.  There  is  also 
tremendous  associated  loss  from  interruption  to  business  from 
fires.  A  reduction  in  fire  loss  would  proportionately  reduce 
the  last  named  items. 

It  is  not  possible  to  now  cite  you  chapter  and  verse  to 
sustain  these  general  facts  and  conclusions.  The  history  of 
the  subject  covers  our  whole  national  life.  Much  has  been 
observed,  studied,  spoken,  written  and  done  in  this  fight  with 
the  fatal  as  well  as  beneficent  element — fire.  I  can  only  refer 
you  now  to  the  data  obtainable,  and  leave  it  to  your  interest 
and  enterprise  to  obtain  and  use  it. 


The  general  public  awakening  about  fire  waste,  may  be 
said  to  have  come  during  the  past  five  or  six  years,  and  will 
be  found  fairly  well  summarized  in  the  following  articles : 

1905  :— 

The  United  States  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor 
(Bureau  of  Manufactures)  published  a  report  of  the  Consular 
Service  on  fire  loss  and  insurance  abroad. 

This  furnishes  the  basic  foreign  figures  for  comparison 
with  our  home  conditions  cited  above. 

1907  :— 

The  United  States  Department  of  the  Interior  (U.  S. 
Geological  Survey)  in  Bulletin  #418  on  "The  Fire  Tax  and 
Waste  of  Structural  Materials  in  the  United  States"  gave  a 
powerful  warning  on  this  subject. 

1908:—- 

At  the  First  Conservation  Meeting  of  Governors  in  the 
White  House,  May,  1908,  I  presented  on  behalf  of  the  Na- 
tional Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  a  paper  on  Fire  Prevention, 
outlining  the  facts  and  possible  remedies,  based  on  my  expe- 
rience as  Chairman  of  the  Fire  Prevention  Committee  of  the 
National  Hardware  Association  of  the  United  States  at  that 
time.  (Text,  page  168  herein.) 

1908-10-11 : — 

The  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  presented  fur- 
ther papers  on  Fire  Waste  at  the  Conservation  Congresses 
during  these  years,  from  which  quotations  will  later  be  made. 

These  papers  give  authoritative  and  quite  complete  views 
on  our  fire  waste  problem  and  the  course  in  general  terms  to 
better  it. 


As  Chairman  of  the  Fire  Prevention  and  Insurance  Com- 
mittees of  the  National  Association  of  Credit  Men,  National 

13 


Association  of  Manufacturers  and  National  Hardware  Asso- 
ciation, in  the  Fall  of  1909  I  read  a  paper  at  the  Fortieth  An- 
nual Meeting  of  the  Fire  Underwriters  of  the  Northwest  on 
"Fire  Insurance  and  Prevention  as  Related  to  Credit,"  which 
fully  enumerated  the  studies  and  authorities  on  the  subject, 
and  the  activities  at  work  to  regulate  it,  and  finally  the  neces- 
sity of  consolidating  these  efforts  to  achieve  any  practical  re- 
sults. (Text,  page  153.) 

In  an  address  before  the  City  Club  of  Philadelphia, 
January  7,  1911  (Text,  page  134),  and  as  a  witness  before 
the  Legislative  Investigation  Committee  of  New  York  later 
the  same  Spring  (Text,  page  134) ;  in  a  pamphlet  on 
proposed  Fire  Marshal  Legislation  for  Pennsylvania  and 
Philadelphia,  for  a  Meeting  of  business  associations  at  the 
Bourse,  Philadelphia,  April  26,  1911  (Text,  page  112); 
and  in  an  article  in  "The  Survey"  (New  York)  July  I,  1911 
(Text,  page  91);  I  developed  a  good  case  showing  the 
reasons  for  and  method  of  conversion  of  the  above-cited  gen- 
eral facts  and  conclusions  into  specific  State  and  Municipal 
Laws  to  control  fire  waste — constituting  the  continuous  ad- 
vance of  a  principle  of  action  into  results. 

The  absolute  need  of  complete,  specific  and  centralized 
legislation  to  reduce  life  and  property  loss  from  fire  is  fully 
disclosed  in  the  following  articles : — 

"The  Survey" — issue  of  January  7,  1911 — had  an  article 
by  Mr.  J.  P.  McKeon,  an  engineer,  entitled  "Fires,  Factories 
and  Prevention,"  which  exhaustively  describes  and  analyzes 
the  fire  loss  in  life  and  property  in  the  Newark  factory  at 
Orange  and  High  Streets,  in  1910.  In  this  article  he  shows 
the  jumble  of  insufficient,  inefficient  and  unrelated  State  and 
Municipal  laws  respecting  the  construction,  protection  and 
occupancy  of  buildings ;  the  careless,  indifferent  and  inefficient 
enforcement  of  such  laws  as  existed ;  and  the  lack  of  any  real 
and  continuous  inspection  from  any  source,  to  insure  any  rea- 
sonably effective  control. 

In  "McClures  Magazine" — September,  1911  issue — is  a 
forceful  editorial  on  "The  Fire  Question  in  the  United  States." 

In  the  same  issue  an  article  by  Mr.  Arthur  McFarlane, 
entitled  "Fires  and  the  Skyscraper,"  fully  discusses  the  Wash- 
ington Place,  Asch  Building,  or  "Triangle,"  fire  in  New  York 
City  in  March,  1911,  with  its  causes  and  needlessness. 

In  "McClures  Magazine"  of  December,  1911,  Mr.  Mc- 
Farlane has  another  article  entitled  "New  York's  Conflagra- 
tion Peril,"  which  discusses  the  fire  and  conflagration  hazard 
in  New  York  City  at  present 

14 


The  "Journal  of  Commerce  and  Commercial  Bulletin," 
New  York,  in  an  editorial  in  issue  of  March  29,  1911,  lays 
pronounced  emphasis  on  the  governmental  conditions  in  the 
City  of  New  York,  which  made  the  Triangle  fire  possible; 
adding  cumulative  evidence  to  that  above  cited,  especially 
concerning  the  Newark  fire,  as  to  the  conflict  of  authority 
supposed  to  control  fire  waste  at  present  in  practically  all  states 
and  cities. 

"Everybody's  Magazine"  issue  of  November,  1911,  has 
an  article  by  Messrs.  Leon  Platky  and  Walter  Lippman,  which 
throws  light  on  the  serious  "arson"  conditions  under  the  pres- 
ent imperfect  laws  and  enforcement  of  same. 

Mr.  Franklin  H.  Wentworth,  Secretary  of  the  National 
Fire  Protection  Association,  has  in  repeated  addresses  called 
for  the  gradual  construction  of  a  fire-stop  cross  in  all  cities, 
dividing  their  areas  substantially  into  four  parts — this  cross 
to  be  effected  by  taking  two  intersecting  main  avenues  and 
gradually  improving  the  construction  of  the  buildings  along 
them  so  as  to  resist  the  march  of  conflagration. 


The  only  reasonable  deduction  from  all  this  evidence  is 
that,  as  regards  fire  waste,  all  over  this  country  public  opinion, 
general  building  construction,  improvement,  protection,  occu- 
pancy and  housekeeping;  legislation — both  State  and  Munic- 
ipal, and  inspection  under  and  enforcement  of  existing  laws — 
are  in  main  loose,  unrelated,  lacking  in  uniformity  and  cen- 
tralized authority,  and  generally  neglected  to  a  shameful  and 
often  criminal  degree. 

I  cannot  now  and  here  detail  all  this  data — it  would 
require  a  full  day — so  you  must  assume  my  position  is  right 
until  you  investigate  directly. 

This  situation  becomes  more  burdensome  every  day  and 
it  is  unthinkable  that  we  cannot  as  a  nation  control  it,  so  we 
approach  consideration  of  the  solution  of  this  Gordian  knot. 

The  Insurance  organizations  alone  will  never  be  able  to 
give  us  relief,  for  reasons  I  will  now  develop. 

The  best  known  and  most  authoritative  organization  of 
the  Stock  Insurance  Companies  (apart  from  the  local  Under- 
writing Boards,  which  are  most  in  evidence  in  dealing  with 
the  public)  is  the  National  Board  of  Fire  •  Underwriters, 
No.  135  William  Street,  New  York  City.  It  describes  its  own 
views  and  activity  in  its  December,  1908,  Conservation 
Address,  as  follows  : — 

"The  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  which  this 
Committee  represents,  devotes  its  energies  and  activities  to 
the  reduction  of  the  fire  waste  and  the  safeguarding  of  life 

15 


and  property  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  rates  of  premium. 
It  confines  itself  to  matters  in  which  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
panies have  a  common  interest  and  most  of  which  also  deeply 
concern  the  public. 

Thus,  through  a  Committee  on  Fire  Prevention,  com- 
manding the  services  of  a  corps  of  engineers,  the  cities  of 
the  country  are  systematically  inspected  by  the  National  Board 
of  Fire  Underwriters  with  a  view  of  pointing  out  defects  in 
water  supplies  and  fire  department  equipments,  and  copies  of 
these  reports,  with  our  recommendations  for  improvements, 
are  presented  for  the  free  use  of  municipalities;  an  extensive 
Laboratory  plant  is  supported  for  the  purpose  of  testing 
material  and  devices  of  a  hazardous  nature  entering  into  the 
problems  of  fire  protection;  a  model  building  code  has  been 
adopted,  ten  thousand  copies  of  which  have  been  distributed 
to  cities  and  towns  in  the  United  States;  an  arson  fund  is 
subscribed  from  which  over  a  million  dollars  in  rewards  has 
been  offered  for  the  conviction  of  incendiaries;  nearly  half 
a  million  of  standard  rules  and  lists  of  hazardous  and  pro- 
tective devices  and  materials  were  during  the  past  year  alone 
circulated  to  the  public  free  of  charge ;  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  copies  of  the  rules  to  regulate  electric  installations  are 
annually  distributed,  and  in  every  way  possible  we  have 
endeavored  to  create  a  sentiment  which  should  tend  to  place 
some  check  upon  the  constantly  increasing  destruction  of 
values  by  fire. 

The  Committee  believes  that  the  present  fire  waste  in 
this  country  is  an  unnecessary  national  calamity,  and  that 
to  reduce  it  it  is  essential 

First. — That  the  public  should  be  brought  to  understand 
that  property  destroyed  by  fire  is  gone  forever  and  is  not 
replaced  by  the  distribution  of  insurance  which  is  a  tax 
collected  for  the  purpose. 

Second. — That  the  States  severally  establish  and  support 
the  office  of  Fire  Marshal  and  confer  on  the  Fire  Marshal 
by  law  the  right  to  examine  under  oath  and  enter  premises 
and  to  make  arrests,  making  it  the  duty  of  such  officer  to 
examine  into  the  cause  and  origin  of  all  fires  and  when  crime 
has  been  committed  requiring  the  facts  to  be  submitted  to 
the  Grand  Jury  or  proper  indicting  body. 

Third. — That  the  States  severally  adopt  and  enforce  a 
building  code  which  shall  require  a  high  type  of  safe  con- 
struction, essentially  following  the  code  of  the  National  Board 
of  Fire  Underwriters  (for  use  by  municipalities). 

As  long  ago  as  1892  a  Committee  of  this  Board  addressed 
the  President  of  the  United  States  on  the  destruction  of  life 
and  property  by  fire.  As  was  expected,  it  appeared  to  him 
a  matter  for  State  rather  than  National  legislation. 

Fourth.— That  municipalities  adopt  ordinances  governing 
the  use  and  keeping  of  explosives,  especially  inflammable 

16 


commodities  and  other  special  hazards,  such  as  electric  wiring, 
the  storing  of  refuse,  waste,  packing  material,  etc.,  in  build- 
ings, yards  or  areaways,  and  see  to  the  enforcement  of  such 
ordinances. 

Fifth. — That  in  all  cities  there  be  a  paid,  well  disciplined, 
non-political  fire  department,  adequately  equipped  with  modern 
apparatus. 

Sixth. — That  in  all  cities  an  adequate  water  system  with 
proper  distribution  and  pressure  be  installed  and  maintained. 
In  the  larger  cities  a  separate  high  pressure  water  system 
for  fire  extinguishment  is  an  absolute  necessity,  to  diminish 
the  extreme  imminence  of  general  conflagrations." 

The  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  the  highest 
authority  in  Stock  Insurance,  admits  the  inability  of  insurance 
interests  alone  to  properly  regulate  fire  waste  in  this  country 
in  the  following  language  taken  from  its  1910  Conservation 
Address : — 

"No  one  organization  can  effect  the  needed  reform. 
Since  1880  the  population  has  increased  73  per  cent,  while 
the  fire  loss  for  the  same  period  increased  134  per  cent.  The 
National  Fire  Protection  Association  and  the  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Credit  Men  are  spreading  the  doctrine  of  reform 
in  the  recklessness  with  which  our  utilized  resources  are 
destroyed  by  fire.  Each  organization  should  be  encouraged. 
Membership  in  the  former  is  open  to  all  and  in  the  latter  to 
the  business  men  and  merchants  of  our  cities. 

The  work,  however,  is  carried  on  without  State  or 
municipal  co-operation  and  therein  lies  the  chief  reason  of 
delayed  success. 

If  the  office  of  State  Fire  Marshal  were  created  by  every 
Commonwealth,  and  that  official  and  his  deputies  given  power 
to  enforce  good  fire  prevention  laws,  investigate  and  if  neces- 
sary prosecute  cases  of  arson  or  criminal  carelessness  in  the 
starting  or  spreading  of  fires;  ascertain  the  cause  of  every 
fire,  and  by  the  distribution  of  literature  educate  the  citizens 
to  the  need  of  care  and  forethought  in  the  protection  of  his 
property,  a  distinct  conserving  of  the  utilized  resources  in 
that  State  would  follow: 

If  our  municipalities  will  enact  and  enforce  improved 
and  safe  methods  of  building  construction  and  cause  the 
removal  or  reconstruction  of  existing  structures  which  con- 
stitute— because  of  their  construction — a  menace  to  adjoining 
properties,  our  cities  will  be  freer  from  the  imminent  con- 
flagration which  now  threatens  them.  Eliminate  defective 
chimney  flues,  unprotected  external  and  internal  openings, 
excessive  areas,  weak  walls  and  combustible  roofs;  prohibit 
the  storage  of  rubbish  and  demand  the  safe  use  and  handling 
of  dangerously  inflammable  liquids  and  oils;  regulate  the  use 

17 


of  explosives; — and  the  destruction  of  our  values,  created 
from  the  natural  resources  but  enriched  many  fold  by  human 
toil,  industry  and  skill,  will  be  materially  diminished. 

If  the  citizens  of  a  community,  as  members  of  their  local 
civic  bodies  and  boards  of  trade  will  create  in  such  organiza- 
tions a  Committee  of  Fire  Prevention,  whose  duty  it  shall  be 
to  study  the  subject  and  awaken  among  their  associates  a 
realization  of  individual  and  communal  responsibility,  and  if 
our  Boards  of  Education  will  emulate  the  action  of  the  State 
of  Ohio  in  prescribing  primal  education  of  the  school  children 
as  to  the  chemistry  of  fire,  the  causes  of  fires  in  our  homes, 
and  how  to  guard  against  them,  and  how  to  extinguish 
incipient  fires  or  hold  them  in  check  while  awaiting  the 
response  of  the  fire  department,  a  preparation  will  be  made 
in  that  community  which  will  check  the  constantly  increasing 
fire  waste." 

This  Board  in  its  1911  Conservation  Address  specifically 
invites  commercial  bodies  and  Boards  of  Trade  of  our  cities 
to  interest  themselves  in  this  subject  of  fire  waste,  and  urges 
upon  our  Governors  and  State  Fire  Marshals  to  set  aside  a 
Fire  Prevention  Day  and  take  every  other  possible  step  to 
teach  the  people  at  large,  including  factory  workers  and  school 
children,  the  danger  of  fire  and  how  to  minimize,  suppress 
and  evade  it,  in  the  following  language: — 

"Many  commercial  bodies  and  boards  of  trade  of  our 
cities  have  taken  up  the  subject  of  the  fire  waste,  appointed 
local  committees  on  Fire  Prevention  and  advocated  and 
secured  improvements  tending  to  afford  better  fire  protection 
and  lessen  the  great  financial  drain  which  the  fire  loss  was 
causing  in  their  communities. 

The  National  Association  of  Credit  Men,  which  has 
perhaps  devoted  more  time  to  the  study  of  insurance  and  the 
fire  waste  of  the  country  than  any  other  commercial  body, 
has  been  very  active  in  acquainting  business  men  with  the 
importance  of  the  subject  and  in  encouraging  the  adoption 
by  State  and  municipality  of  such  remedial  measures  as  will 
tend  to  diminish  the  steadily  and  rapidly  increasing  fire  losses. 

The  States  of  Ohio,  Montana,  Nebraska  and  Iowa  are 
instructing  their  school  children  as  to  the  importance  of 
observing  greater  care  in  the  handling  and  use  of  the  ordinary 
fire  hazards.  The  Fire  Insurance  Commissioners  in  annual 
convention  in  August  last  adopted  the  following  resolutions: 

'The  appalling  annual  loss  of  life  and  property  in  the 
United  States  by  fires,  due  to  criminal  carelessness,  ignorance 
or  dishonesty,  command  the  serious  attention  of  the  American 
people.  From  present  indications  over  $300,000,000  in  prop- 
erty values  will  be  utterly  wiped  out  during  the  current  year — 
a  sum  so  vast  that  it  must  have  a  serious  economic  effect 

18 


on  the  prosperity  of  the  country.  The  causes  for  this  enor- 
mous drain  on  the  savings  of  the  nation  are  well  known  and 
to  a  large  extent  preventable. 

The  destruction  of  property  by  fire  is  ten  times  as  great 
per  capita  in  the  United  States  as  it  is  in  Germany,  France, 
England  and  other  countries  abroad;  and  in  addition  to  this 
needless  waste  of  property  there  are  also  thousands  of  men, 
women  and  children  burned  to  death  or  crippled  in  the  various 
local  fires  and  conflagrations  that  constantly  occur.  The  chief 
factor  responsible  for  this  situation  is  general  carelessness 
and  the  utter  lack  of  personal  responsibility  for  the  removal 
of  causes  productive  of  fires. 

We  recommend  a  campaign  of  education  through  the 
Governors,  Insurance  Commissioners,  and  Fire  Marshals  of 
the  various  States,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  directly  to 
the  attention  of  the  people  the  causes  responsible  for  the 
national  ash  heap,  and  the  adoption  of  legislation  which  will 
safeguard  the  lives  and  property  of  the  people  by  holding 
every  individual  responsible  for  carelessness  resulting  in  fires. 

We  recommend  the  suggestion  unanimously  adopted  by 
the  Association  of  Fire  Marshals  of  North  America,  urging 
that  Governors  of  the  various  States  set  aside  one  day  each 
year  to  be  known  as  "Fire  Prevention  Day."  By  proclamation 
the  Governor  can  call  the  attention  of  the  citizens  to  the  enor- 
mous preventable  fire  waste  of  the  country,  and  urge  the  taking 
of  such  precautions — individual,  municipal  and  State — as  will 
tend  to  reduce  it.  Appropriate  exercises  can  be  held  in  the 
public  schools,  instruction  on  the  common  fire  hazards  can 
be  given  the  children,  and  the  day  can  be  made  the  occasion 
of  the  "clean-up  day"  which  is  doing  so  much  to  remove 
hazardous  conditions. 

Resolved,  That  the  individual  members  of  the  convention 
will  use  their  influence  to  secure  such  action  by  the  Governors 
of  their  respective  States,  as  an  important,  practical  and 
educational  assistance  in  the  work  of  fire  prevention.' 

The  Governors  of  a  number  of  our  Commonwealths  have 
already  acted  favorably  on  part  of  the  foregoing  suggestions 
and  by  proclamation  have  set  aside  a  day  to  be  known  as 
'Fire  Prevention  Day/  when  the  citizens  will  be  called  upon 
to  clean  up  their  several  premises  and  provide  better  fire 
protection,  as  a  part  of  a  nation-wide  study  of  fire  waste, 
and  the  individual  responsibility  of  property  owners  and  house- 
holders. 

The  State  Fire  Marshals  in  their  annual  session  adopted 
somewhat  similar  resolutions.  The  awakening  of  our  people 
on  this  subject  affords  encouragement,  but  as  yet  it  is  only 
partial,  incomplete,  and  not  in  keeping  with  the  national 
importance  of  the  subject." 

The  present  Secretary  of  the  Department  of  the  Interior 
of  the  United  States,  Hon.  Walter  L.  Fisher,  at  the  annual 

19 


meeting  of  the  National  Fire  Protection  Association  in  New 
York,  May  last,  raised  his  voice  on  this  subject  as  follows: — 

"To  arouse  the  people  against  the  fire  foe  is  our  task. 
If  there  were  any  dispute  as  to  the  facts,  if  any  one  opposed 
a  movement  to  check  the  fire  loss,  the  American  people  might 
more  readily  become  partisans  of  this  movement  which  you 
are  leading.  But  there  is  no  difference  of  opinion  regarding 
the  essentials.  The  average  American  citizen  would  admit 
that  our  fire  waste  is  in  the  nature  of  a  national  disgrace. 
The  task  is  to  make  him  do  something  to  remedy  conditions. 
You  must  popularize  your  movement  and  create  a  general 
demand  for  adequate  laws  and  thorough  enforcement.  To 
relieve  the  people  of  the  unnecessary  burden  which  they  are 
now  carrying  you  must  teach  them  the  importance  and  the 
significance  of  that  burden.  You  must  show  them  the  neces- 
sity for  a  defence  against  this  common  enemy.  Organized 
methods  must  be  adopted  for  bringing  the  significance  of  the 
fire  waste  before  every  person  who  will  read  the  written  work 
or  listen  to  the  spoken  one.  Let  the  people  once  realize  the 
exact  facts  of  their  own  negligence  and  they  will  be  swift 
to  provide  the  remedy." 

In  testimony  on  the  same  point  I  further  quote  Mr.  A.  F. 
Dean,  one  of  the  best-known  underwriting  experts  of  the 
Stock  Insurance  Organization : — 

"The  difference  between  our  country  and  Europe  seems 
to  be  that  we  are  lavish  in  extinguishing  fires  and  niggardly 
in  preventing  them.  A  fire  department  appeals  to  our  love 
for  the  dramatic,  but  it  is  complicated,  costly  and  only  too 
often  absurdly  inefficient.  On  the  other  hand,  fire  prevention, 
with  its  unbounded  scope  for  efficiency,  is  simple  and  relatively 
inexpensive,- — but  it  is  prosaic  and  commonplace,  with  wide 
intervals  of  time  between  cause  and  effect,  and  such  things 
do  not  appeal  to  our  national  temperament,  which  looks  for 
immediate  results." 

It  must  be  admitted  from  the  above  that  something 
besides  insurance  organizations  and  firemen  must  get  to  work 
in  a  thoroughly  uniform,  practical  and  organized  manner  all 
over  the  country  if  American  fire  waste  is  to  be  controlled. 

The  technical  and  practical  experience  on  the  subject  in 
all  phases, — constructing,  protecting  and  occupying  property — 
is  now  thoroughly  known  to  the  expert  branches  of  the  insur- 
ance organizations  (in  which  are  combined  both  the  Stock  and 
Mutual  Companies)  and  no  agency  in  the  country  can  either 
increase  or  perpetuate  this  expert  information  so  well  as  the 
insurance  organizations; — hence,  whatever  further  movement 
is  undertaken  and  followed  with  a  view  to  reducing  our 
national  fire  waste,  this  part  of  the  work  should  always  rest 
where  it  now  is. 

20 


The  branches  of  the  insurance  organization  which  carry 
on  the  technical  part  of  this  work  are  the  National  Fire  Pro- 
tection Association  (87  Milk  Street,  Boston,  Mass.)  and  the 
Underwriters  Laboratories,  Inc.  (207  East  Ohio  Street,  Chi- 
cago, 111.). 

The  following  data  from  the  N.  F.  P.  A.  Year  Book, 
1911,  will  explain  the  scope  and  method  of  their  work: — 

"The  objects  of  this  Association  are  to  promote  the  science 
and  improve  the  methods  of  fire  protection;  to  obtain  and 
circulate  information  on  these  subjects  and  to  secure  the  co- 
operation of  its  members  in  establishing  proper  safeguards 
against  loss  of  life  and  property  by  fire." 

Its  membership  consists  of 

(a)  Active  Members  (National  Institutes,  Societies  and 
Associations  interested  in  the  protection  of  life  and  property 
against  loss  by  fire;  State  Associations  whose  principal  object 
is  the  reduction  of  fire  waste ;  Insurance  Boards  and  Insurance 
Associations  having  primary  jurisdiction) — Annual  Dues, — 
$15.00. 

(b)  Associate  Members  (National,  State  and  Municipal 
Departments   and   Bureaus;    Boards   of   Trade,    Chambers   of 
Commerce  and  similar  business  men's  associations;  Insurance 
Boards    and    Insurance    Associations    not    eligible    for    active 
membership;  individual  members  of  organizations  represented 
in  the  Active  or  Associate  Members;   individuals  engaged  in 
the  fire  insurance  business.     Annual  Dues, — $5.00. 

(c)  Subscribing  Members  (Individuals,  Firms  and  Cor- 
porations  interested    in   the   protection    of   life   and   property 
against  loss  by  fire).     Annual  Dues, — $5.00.    • 

The  active  members  of  this  Association  include  all  the 
Stock  and  Mutual  local  Underwriting  Boards  throughout  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  and  a  large  number  of  important 
Associations — national  in  scope — which  have  expressed  their 
interest  in  fire  prevention  and  protection  through  appropriate 
resolutions  and  by  the  formation  of  committees,  to  advance 
the  purpose  of  such  resolutions  by  acquiring  active  and  asso- 
ciate membership  in  the  N.  F.  P.  A. 

Notable  among  such  business  and  commercial  associations 
are: 

The  American  Institute  of  Architects, 

American  Electric  Railway  Association, 

American  Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers, 

American  Waterworks  Association, 

National  Association  of  Credit  Men, 

National  Association  of  Manufacturers, 

National  Hardware  Association, 

National  Association  of  Sheet  Metal  Contractors  of  the 
United  States,  and  others  too  numerous  to  mention. 

21 


I  am  or  have  been  Chairman  of  the  Fire  Prevention  Com- 
mittees of  the  last  four  named  Associations,  and  induced  three 
of  them  to  join  the  N.  F.  P.  A. 

The  National  Board  of  Trade,  the  National  Organization 
of  Chambers  of  Commerce,  the  Municipal  League,  and  The 
American  Bankers  Association  should  undoubtedly  become 
active  members  in  the  N.  F.  P.  A.  and  induce  their  constituent 
bodies  to  become  associate  members,  thus  disseminating 
throughout  these  important  trade  bodies  the  regularly  distrib- 
uted literature  of  the  N.  F.  P.  A. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Merrill,  President  of  the  Association,  at  the 
fifteenth  annual  meeting,  May  23d  last,  New  York  City, 
reviewed  its  work,  which  included  the  following  statements : — 

"It  is  well  that  during  15  years  we  have  proven  in  practice 
the  soundness  of  our  recommendations,  for  proven  facts  are 
demanded  and  being  utilized  today  as  never  before. 

Formulated  largely  by  men  whose  daily  avocation  is  the 
analysis  of  fire  risks,  having  in  consultation  with  them  repre- 
sentatives of  all  the  interests  involved  and  furnished  with 
data  on  details  by  thorough  and  competent  laboratory  experi- 
mentation, it  was  reasonable  to  suppose  that  our  specifications 
would  successfully  meet  the  requirements  of  practice;  but 
it  is  comfortable  to  feel  that  such  is  the  case  and  that  we 
are  not  theorizing  in  the  recommendations  we  make  for  safe- 
guarding the  lives  and  property  of  our  fellows. 

We  prescribe  real  buildings  of  fireproof  construction  (not 
shells  with  unprotected  vertical  and  horizontal  openings,  and 
finished  or-  equipped  with  combustibles),  real  fire  windows 
(not  merely  things  of  glass  and  metal)  ;  real  fire  doors  with 
fire  (not  ordinary)  door  hardware;  real  automatic  sprinkler 
installations  (not  partial  or  ineffective  equipments  or  per- 
forated pipes)  ;  real  firehose  (not  the  common,  shoddy  sub- 
stitute) ;  real  first  aid  appliances  (not  those  which  require 
fires  educated  to  meet  their  limitations)  ;  real  structural 
methods  and  materials;  real  fire  fighting  apparatus, — and  so 
on  through  the  whole  field  of  fire  protection. 

Of  special  and  miscellaneous  subjects,  our  reports,  pamph- 
lets and  papers,  cover  thousands  of  items,  information  from 
which  has  been  freely  distributed  wherever  the  need  for  it 
was  apparent. 

The  admirable  articles  and  editorials  in  our  quarterly 
magazine  are  also  widely  quoted  and  copied,  many  of  them 
attracting  attention  in  one  form  or  another  during  periods 
of  a  year  or  more  after  their  publication  by  us.  Specifications 
which  we  have  prepared,  adopted  and  recommended  have 
run  through  many  editions,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  copies 
have  been  distributed,  and  their  provisions  are  found  embodied 
in  many  laws,  rules  and  contracts  relating  to  the  various 
subjects  which  they  specifically  cover. 

22 


The  N.  F.  P.  A.  extends  its  welcome  to  each  passerby 
who  may  express  an  interest  in  fire  prevention  or  protection. 
He  may  join  the  effort  for  the  general  good  which  has  been 
crystallized  and  is  being  carried  forward  through  the  con- 
stantly broadening  influence  and  work  of  this  association. 
Each  one  may  obtain  for  himself  through  this  agency  informa- 
tion and  advice  on  matters  of  fire  protection  engineering  from 
experts  trained  in  this  profession,  and  at  the  same  time  add 
his  helping  hand  and  the  moral  influence  of  his  membership 
to  the  effort  of  the  thousands  of  loyal  soldiers  already  enlisted 
and  doing  brave  battle  against  the  evil  spirits  of  the  flame." 

As  regards  the  Underwriters  Laboratories,  Inc.,  this  is 
a  purely  technical  establishment  (under  the  direction  of  the 
National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters)  which  was  chartered  by 
the  State  of  Illinois,  November,  1901 : 

"To  establish  and  maintain  laboratories  for  the  examina- 
tion and  testing  of  appliances  and  devices,  and  to  enter  into 
contracts  with  the  owners  and  manufacturers  of  such  appli- 
ances and  devices  respecting  the  recommendation  thereof  to 
insurance  organizations." 

"The  work  of  the  Underwriters  Laboratories  is  confined 
to  investigations  having  a  bearing  upon  the  fire  hazard,  and 
is  undertaken  as  one  means  of  securing  correct  solutions  of 
many  of  the  problems  presented  by  the  enormous  and  dis- 
proportionate destruction  by  fires  of  property  in  the  United 
States." 

"The  object  of  the  Underwriters  Laboratories  is  to  bring 
to  the  user  the  one  best  obtainable  opinion  on  the  merits  or 
demerits  of  appliances  in  respect  to  the  fire  hazard.  Such 
appliances  include  those  designed  to  aid  in  extinguishing  fires, 
such  as  automatic  sprinklers,  pumps,  hand  fire  appliances, 
hose,  hydrants,  nozzles,  valves,  etc. ;  materials  and  devices 
designed  to  retard  the  spread  of  fire,  such  as  structural 
methods  and  materials,  fire  doors  and  shutters,  fire  windows, 
etc.;  and  machines  and  fittings  which  may  be  instrumental 
in  causing  a  fire,  such  as  gas  and  oil  appliances,  electrical 
fittings,  chemicals  and  the  various  machines  and  appurtenances 
used  in  lighting  and  heating." 

"Summaries  of  the  Laboratories'  reports  are  promulgated 
on  printed  cards,  filed  according  to  classifications.  Cabinets 
containing  these  cards  are  maintained  at  the  offices  of  the 
principal  Boards  of  Underwriters  and  Inspection  Bureaus  in 
the  United  States,  at  many  of  the  general  offices  of  insurance 
companies,  by  some  insurance  firms,  certain  municipal  depart- 
ments and  at  the  local  offices  of  the  Laboratories  in  larger 
cities.  Much  of  the  information  is  also  freely  distributed  by 
means  of  lists  of  approved  and  permitted  devices  promulgated 
freely  on  request  by  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters, 
207  East  Ohio  Street,  Chicago,  111. 

23 


The  results  of  the  work  in  many  classes  of  appliances 
are  furnished  directly  to  building  owners,  architects,  users 
and  all.  persons  interested,  by  means  of  the  Laboratories' 
labeling  system,  under  which  goods  are  inspected  at  factories 
by  Laboratories'  engineers  and  stamps  or  labels  attached  to 
such  portions  of  the  output  as  is  found  constructed  in  accord- 
ance with  the  standard  requirements. 

The  aim  of  the  founders  of  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories— which  was  to  secure  the  best  and  fairest  opinion 
regarding  the  merits  or  demerits  of  every  device,  system  or 
material  having  a  bearing  upon  the  fire  hazard,  and  to  have 
the  work  so  conducted  and  reviewed  as  to  secure  accuracy 
and  uniformity  in  its  findings — has  been  accomplished  to  such 
an  extent  that  the  majority  of  fire  underwriters  in  the  United 
States,  many  municipal  authorities,  and  a  large  number  of 
architects,  building  owners  and  users  either  accept  or  require 
a  report  from  these  Laboratories  incident  to  their  recognition 
of  devices,  systems  and  materials  having  a  bearing  upon  the 
fire  hazard. 

Underwriters  Laboratories,  Inc.,  however,  issues  no 
guarantee  that  its  finding  will  be  accepted  or  recognized  in 
any  case.  Such  assurances  can  only  be  obtained  from  the 
authority  having  jurisdiction."  (Such  as  the  Philadelphia 
Fire  Underwriters  Association). 

The  Underwriters  Laboratories,  Inc.,  have  thoroughly 
studied,  tested,  standardized  and  issued  data  in  circular  form 
on: 

Complete  Building  Construction, 

Automatic  Sprinkler  Machinery  and  Equipment, 

Fire  Pumps, 

Sky  Lights, 

Liquid   Fuel,  storage   and  machinery, 

Municipal  Fire  Alarms  and  Signalling  Systems, 

Railway  Car  Plants, 

Wired  Glass  Windows, 

Waste  Receptacles, 

Public  and  Private  Fire  Department  Valves  and 
Hydrants, 

Kerosene  Oil  Storage  Systems, 

Protection   against  Lightning, 

Heating,  Cooking  and  Welding  Apparatus, 

Fire  Doors  and  Shutters, 

Electric  Wiring  Apparatus, 

and  other  subjects  too  numerous  to  mention. 


There  is  no  question  but  that  the  technical  information 
and  experience  collected  for  a  century  by  the  Insurance  or- 
ganization is  ample  to  guide  the  public  in  reducing  the  fire 
danger  if  they  would  only  understand  and  use  it. 


24 


The  very  extent  and  accuracy  of  insurance  knowledge  on 
this  subject,  however,  lays  this  interest  open  to  suspicion  on 
the  part  of  the  public,  who  generally  feel  that  they  are  bound 
to  get  the  worst  of  the  bargain  in  any  dealings  or  disputes. 

The  Insurance  world  therefore  greatly  needs  an  intelli- 
gent organisation  of  the  business  interests  of  the  country  to 
parallel  their  efforts  in  fighting  fire  waste,  which  can  at  the 
same  time  set  them  right  with  the  public  or  show  them  where 
they  are  wrong  from  place  to  place  and  time  to  time.  The 
public  needs  such  a  business  men's  and  property  owners'  or- 
ganization to  fight  fire  waste,  to  study,  formulate  and  get  en- 
acted and  enforced  a  rounded  program  of  uniform  legislation 
throughout  the  States  and  municipalities  within  the  States — 
covering  a  standard  Insurance  policy,  brokers'  license,  fire 
marshal  law  and  building  ordinance, — all  under  centralized, 
thorough,  honest,  capable  and  continuous  inspection  service. 

Included  in  such  legislation  should  be  continuous  public 
distribution  of  knowledge  about  this  common  danger  to  prop- 
erty owners  generally  and  factory  workers  and  children  in 
school, — including  the  building  and  protection  of  new  property 
and  improvement  of  old  property;  cleanly  housekeeping;  fire 
drills  in  schools  and  factories;  and  the  many  small  causes  of 
fire,  such  as  defective  flues,  bad  matches,  accumulated  rubbish, 
etc.,  etc. 

Finally,  in  all  such  legislation  an  avenue  should  be  opened 
for  volunteers  to  work — just  as  they  now  work  in  the  Society 
for  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals.  A  principal  function 
of  the  business  men's  organization  in  this  work  should  be  to 
inspire,  inform  and  organize  volunteers  all  over  the  country 
to  watch,  stimulate  and  assist  officials  to  enforce  fire-waste 
laws.  

If  the  necessity  for  such  legislation  is  admitted,  is  it  not 
necessary  for  those  most  needing  it  to  make  practical  plans  to 
formulate  it,  procure  it  and  enforce  it?  The  public  must  do 
this  through  some  channel,  as  others  interested  need  not  and 
will  not. 

The  Illinois  State  Commission  on  this  subject  calls  atten- 
tion to: — 

"The  fact  that  it  is  no  more  the  moral  duty  of  fire  insur- 
ance to  teach  the  public  how  to  reduce  fire  waste  and  thereby 
cut  down  the  income  of  the  industry  than  it  is  for  doctors 
to  teach  people  how  to  keep  healthy,  or  for  lawyers  to  teach 
people  how  to  avoid  litigation,  and -frankly  admits  that  fire 
indemnity  has  done  its  whole  duty  in  the  face  of  widespread 
misunderstanding  and  misrepresentation  of  motives  that  can- 
not be  called  fair,"  stating  that  it  would  be  dishonest  to 
withold  this  plain  statement  of  the  truth. 

25 


This  last  and  what  immediately  follows  is  from  an  ad- 
dress by  Mr.  Dean: — 

"Fire  Underwriters  have  long  tried  to  educate  the  public 
into  an  understanding  of  the  nature  and  equities  of  their 
industry,  with  indifferent  success.  This  has  largely  been  due 
perhaps  to  the  fact  that  Underwriters  themselves  have  been 
confronted  with  some  of  the  profoundest  problems  of  modern 
life;  that — as  in  every  other  form  of  activity  where  students 
are  few — many  of  the  results  of  their  research  have  been  in 
conflict  with  established  prejudices  or  entrenched  privilege. 
Again,  the  house  of  insurance  is  a  divided  house ;  its  personnel 
is  separated  into  groups  with  conflicting  duties  and  interests. 
This  industry  has  its  commercial  as  well  as  its  regulative  or 
administrative  side.  On  the  commercial  or  business  getting 
side  we  find  agents  and  brokers  who  are  compensated  by 
commissions.  These  commissions  are  part  of  the  outgo  of 
the  industry  which  must  be  comprehended  in  the  rate  and 
paid  by  the  assured.  Stated  briefly,  the  companies  own  the 
capital,  while  the  agents  and  brokers  own  the  business.  A 
single  agent  may  represent  many  companies.  These  com- 
panies are  permitted  to  remain  at  the  will  of  their  host,  and 
the  most  active  phase  of  the  competitive  strife  among  com- 
panies is  to  secure  the  agent's  favor.  In  many  towns  one  or 
two  agencies  practically  monopolize  the  business,  and  the 
companies  are  simply  tenants  at  will,  whose  baggage  may  be 
set  on  the  sidewalk  any  day  by  the  landlord,  who  is  not  dis- 
posed to  tolerate  even  the  mildest  criticism  of  his  accommoda- 
tions or  the  price  of  his  board.  Needless  to  say,  the  buyers 
of  insurance  pay  for  the  service  of  agents." 

You  cannot  therefore  expect  the  insurance  organization 
to  care  for  the  public  interests  as  a  matter  of  actual  or  moral 
right,  as  they  see  it;  or  from  expediency,  because  they  have 
many  troubles  at  home. 

They  are  conducting  in  the  aggregate  all  of  this  work  as 
a  part  of  their  commercial  business  of  writing  insurance  on 
property  for  profit. 

The  General  Manager  of  the  Scottish  Union  and  National 
Insurance  Company  of  Edinburgh  is  quoted  in  "Everybody's" 
as  saying  to  a  group  of  insurance  experts  at  Glasgow,  the 
following : 

"Were  there  no  fires,  there  would  be  no  insurance  busi- 
ness, and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  greater  the  fire  damage  the 
greater  the  turn-over  out  of  which  Insurance  Companies 
make  profit."  And  further,  "Speaking  tonight  as  Manager 
of  a  Fire  Insurance  Company,  I  say  we  cannot  make  profits 
for  our  shareholders  without  fires,  and  further,  that  within 
certain  well-defined  limits  we  welcome  fires." 

26 


This  may  only  represent  a  partial  view  of  the  insurance 
underwriters,  but  there  are  not  a  few  Managers  in  this 
country  who  frankly  hold  the  same  opinion  about  their  busi- 
ness or  major  interests.  They  tell  their  agents  to  take  risks 
as  presented  on  the  schedules  they  prepare  and  they  will 
chance  the  results,  within  the  limit  of  amount  they  fix.  So 
long  as  they  lose  only  half  of  their  premium  so  collected  they 
seem  to  like  the  business  and  find  it  satisfactory  in  their  profit. 

Therefore  the  business  interests  of  insurance  underwriters 
at  large,  and  the  much  vaunted  influence  of  the  elastic  insur- 
ance schedule  to  reduce  fire  loss,  do  not  appear  so  effective  in 
fact  as  claimed. 


Again  assuming  the  insurance  organization  would  under- 
take to  formulate  and  prepare  legislation  actually  required  all 
over  the  country  to  suppress  fire  waste,  would  they  not,  natur- 
ally, as  human  things  go,  advise  a  program  which  would  lean 
more  to  their  interests  in  the  matter  than  that  of  the  public? 
Is  it  not  essential  that  the  public  protect  its  own  interest, 
directly,  in  such  an  important  matter  by  an  effective,  uniform, 
centralized  and  widespread  organization  which  it  would  domi- 
nate and  not  merely  follow? 

Therefore  from  any  viewpoint  of  practical  administration, 
I  advocate,  at  this  time,  an  organization  of  such  bodies  as  you 
own  all  over  the  United  States  to  undertake  legislative  and 
educational  work  to  suppress  fire  waste;  and  which  will 
co-operate  with  the  insurance  organization  and  their  highly 
effective  representation  in  legislative  halls  all  over  the  country 
in  bettering  conditions  so  long  as  the  interests  of  the  public 
are  fully  conserved.  In  such  a  program  and  in  the  event  of 
a  divergence  arising — which  I,  for  one,  do  not  believe  would 
often  occur — this  business  organization  representing  the  major 
interest  of  the  country  should  enforce,  to  the  extent  of  its 
power,  its  program,  although  opposed. 

The  technique  of  the  art  should  be  left  with  the  insurance 
organization.  The  business  of  accomplishing  beneficent  legis- 
lation, however,  should  be  the  burden  on  this  business  organi- 
zation, because  the  insurance  interests  as  a  rule  do  not  have 
easy  sledding  in  Legislatures,  and  their  program  is  often  sub- 
ject to  assault  if  only  because  advanced  by  them. 

Every  consideration  shows  the  necessity  of  commercial 
bodies  taking  up  this  matter  seriously  and  in  detail  at  this  time. 


I  will  now  illustrate  the  actual  detail  required  to  prepare 
and  advance  legislation. 

Last  Winter  in  Pennsylvania  the  State  Firemen's  Asso- 
ciation and  the  State  Association  of  Mutual  Insurance  Com- 

27 


panics  started  in  to  pass  a  State  Fire  Marshal  law  through  the 
Pennsylvania  Legislature.  A  study  of  two  drafts  of  the  law 
they  had  prepared  disclosed  possibilities  of  improvement, 
whereupon  I  engaged  competent  constitutional  counsel  and 
laid  before  him  these  drafts  together  with  copies  of  various 
other  fire  marshal  laws  and  a  digest  of  laws  relating  to  the 
subject  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  added  to  this  data 
certain  other  suggestions  on  educational  features  and  certain 
recommendations  of  the  Legislative  Investigating  Committee 
of  the  State  of  New  York. 

A  new  draft  was  finally  worked  out  in  numerous  con- 
ferences, which  was  finally  accepted  by  the  above-mentioned 
Associations  and  was  then  submitted  to  the  Pennsylvania 
State  Fire  Insurance  and  Educational  Departments  for  their 
approval.  These  drafts  were  also  submitted  to  the  Stock  and 
Mutual  Insurance  interests  for  discussion  and  approval.  I 
then  invited  representatives  of  various  public  commercial 
bodies  in  Philadelphia  to  a  meeting  at  the  Bourse,  at  which 
time  the  whole  matter  was  laid  before  them  in  detail,  orally 
and  by  a  printed  pamphlet.  (Text — page  12.) 

The  measure  was  so  fair  and  complete  as  to  gain  wide- 
spread support.  It  then  became  necessary  to  appear  before 
the  Committees  of  the  Legislature — by  resolution,  by  indivi- 
dual letters  and  by  actual  presence  of  the  individuals,  to  im- 
press on  the  lawmakers  in  person  at  the  Capitol  the  demand 
for  this  proposed  law. 

It  finally  passed  in  quite  satisfactory  shape  and  was 
signed  by  the  Governor. 

Consider  for  a  moment  the  amount  of  work  and  legiti- 
mate expense  that  was  required  in  this  one  instance. 

Again,  when  the  Legislative  Investigating  Committee 
was  considering  the  subject  of  insurance  in  New  York  last 
Winter,  I  made  three  trips  to  New  York  and  was  present  at 
a  meeting  of  the  representatives  of  important  trade  bodies  in 
that  city,  all  with  an  object  to  inform,  stimulate  and  influence 
that  Legislative  Committee  to  propose  fair  and  effective  Fire 
Marshal  law.  (Text  of  evidence — page  134.) 

It  was  not  possible  to  round  up  as  much  actual  support 
and  information  at  Albany  as  we  later  accomplished  at  Harris- 
burg,  and  hence  the  Fire  Marshall  Law  passed  by  the  last 
New  York  Legislature,  although  a  good  one,  is  not  so  good 
as  the  Pennsylvania  law. 

Here  again  arose  the  actual  necessity  of  engaging  in 
the  detail  work  and  expense  of  a  struggle — first,  to  prepare; 
second,  to  secure  and  convince  the  necessary  support ;  and 
third,  to  actually  get  this  support  on  the  ground  in  order  to 
get  the  law  passed  and  signed  by  the  Governor. 

28 


One  or  a  few  individuals  are  not  called  upon  to  continu- 
ously carry  on  such  effort  at  such  expense ; —  it  is  the  duty  of 
the  public  at  large  to  provide  means  to  accomplish  such  ends. 

The  articles  above-stated,  in  "The  Survey"  and  "Mc- 
Clures  Magazine,"  and  the  "Journal  of  Commerce"  clearly 
show  the  widespread  confusion  in  the  existing  basic  laws  and 
ordinances,  and  the  confusion  and  negligence  in  carrying  out 
even  such  laws  as  there  are  under  present  conditions. 

The  old  statutes  and  regulations  of  almost  any  State  and 
City  require  study  at  this  time ;  and  in  most  cases  should  be 
rescinded  and  modern,  complete  regulations  imposed  in  their 
stead ;  and  these  should  be  uniform  as  between  State  and  State, 
and  as  far  as  possible  uniform — except  as  limited  by  conges- 
tion— throughout  the  cities  and  towns  of  each  State. 

The  stories  of  the  Newark  and  Washington  Place  fires 
particularly  show  the  imperative  necessity  of  continuous, 
honest  and  intelligent  inspection  under  centralised  authority — 
preferably  by  the  "Fire  Department"  and  by  the  "Bureau  of 
Building  Permit  and  Inspection"  Service  in  cities,  and  by  the 
"Factory  Inspection"  Service  throughout  the  State,  and  after 
that  by  any  corps  of  volunteer  forces  which  can  be  recruited 
from  the  insurance  personnel  and  all  other  sources.  Contin- 
uous inspection  is  essential  for  better  conditions  even  with 
good  laws.  This  inspection  should  be  real,  and  of  adequate 
quality  and  amount,  to  actually  cover  the  ground. 

Quoting  further  from  "Everybody's": — 

"There "  are  several  people  whose  business  it  is  to  deal 
with  the  crooked  fire  and  the  crooked  fire  adjustment.  In 
the  Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  the  Bronx  and  Richmond,  of 
New  York  City  there  is  a  Fire  Marshall  who  is  supposed  to 
investigate  the  origin  of  all  fires  and  to  prosecute  incendiarism. 
He  has  eight  assistants,  an  interpreter,  a  stenographer  and 
a  clerk.  With  that  force  the  City  of  New  York  expects  him 
to  find  out  all  about  the  origin  of  twelve  thousand  fires  every 
year,  gather  evidence  of  crime  and  present  it  to  the  Grand 
Jury.  Think  of  nine  men  trying  to  investigate  the  cause  of 
a  thousand  fires  a  month,  or  two  hundred  and  fifty  fires  a 
week.  In  ten  years  there  has  been  no  increase  in  the  force 
whose  business  it  is  to  investigate  the  cause  of  fires,  although 
the  number  of  fires  has  been  more  than  doubled  in  that  time. 
Yet  in  the  same  period  the  fire-extinguishing  force  has 
been  increased  over  one  hundred  per  cent.  Could  anything 
be  less  intelligent  than  that?" 

"Industrial  Engineering,"  September,  1911,  has  an  artiple 
on  "Fire  Protection  in  Factories,"  by  Mr.  S.  G.  Walker,  of 
the  Mutual  Insurance  Organization,  which  I  quote  as  follows : 

29 


"It  is  estimated  that  sixty  per  cent,  of  fires  start  from 
careless  or  preventable  causes,  and  although  it  is  clearly  im- 
possible to  wholly  eliminate  these,  good  management  goes 
far  towards  effecting  a  reduction.  In  the  early  days,  with 
no  protection  which  would  be  recognized  as  such  today,  it 
may  be  said  to  have  been  a  matter  of  good  luck  reinforced 
by  good  management — or  perhaps  later,  the  reverse — that 
kept  factory  properties  from  burning. 

The  success  of  the  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Companies 
has  been  as  much  due  to  the  efficient  inspection  of  their  risks 
as  to  any  other  one  cause,  for  in  the  long  run  this  was  bound 
to  reduce  losses.  This  vigilance  has  not  been  in  the  least 
relaxed  since  the  general  introduction  of  modern  fire  fighting 
apparatus  for  if  a  fire  can  be  prevented  it  does  not  need  to 
be  extinguished,  and  even  a  small  loss  is  avoided. 

The  inspections  are  most  thorough,  investigating  and 
reporting  upon,  in  minutest  detail,  anything  which  has  a  bear- 
ing on  fire  hazard.  Heading  the  list  of  features  is  that  of 
order  and  neatness,  or  housekeeping,  and  it  frequently  takes 
several  years  to  get  a  new  member  up  to  the  Mutual  standards 
in  this  respect,  but  right  here  is  the  feature  of  carelessness 
sought  out  and  corrected.  All  the  physical  characteristics  of 
a  property,  affecting  hazards  or  the  extent  of  a  probable  fire 
loss,  are  examined  and  noted,  covering  such  features  as  con- 
struction, exposure,  occupancy,  heating,  lighting,  protection 
and  management,  which  are  rated  according  to  the  judgment 
of  the  inspector. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  the  maintenance  of  this  department 
represents  about  as  much  in  outlay  as  the  average  losses 
amount  to,  under  present-day  conditions  of  protection,  and, 
while  the  results  cannot  be  reduced  to  dollars  and  cents,  there 
is  no  question  but  that  the  fires  prevented  each  year  pay  for 
the  cost  of  maintenance  of  inspection  service  several  times 
over. 

As  recently  as  fifteen  years  ago  it  was  thought  logical 
to  exercise  some  judgment  as  to  where  automatic  sprinklers 
were  necessary,  but  a  few  fires  in  places  deemed  immune 
demonstrated  the  fact  that  it  is  cheaper  in  the  long  run  to 
buy  protective  apparatus  than  to  pay  for  factories  or  parts 
of  factories  destroyed  by  fires  starting  unexpectedly  and  from 
unsuspected  causes,  and  the  present  practice  is  to  protect 
every  locality  where  combustibles  are  involved  either  in  build- 
ings or  contents. 

It  is  calculated  from  experience  that  automatic  sprinklers 
will  eliminate  over  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  fire  losses  in  a 
given  factory  during  a  period  of  years  of  sufficient  length 
to  establish  average  conditions. 

In  view  of  the  recent  appalling  loss  of  life  in  New  York 
and  Newark  fires  it  may  appropriately  be  noted  that  a  sprink- 
ler equipment  serves  as  a  most  efficient  life  saver  as  well  as 

30 


protector  of  property,  and  had  either  of  these  buildings  been 
equipped,  the  gruesome  results  would  have  been  averted.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  Iroquois,  Boyertown  and  Collinwood 
fires,  and  many  others  which  stand  forth  prominently  among 
the  extended  list  of  calamities  of  this  kind  in  our  country." 

The  article  above  quoted  in  "McClures"  affords  further 
evidence  about  the  advantage  to  any  existing  building  (not  to 
speak  of  new  buildings)  of  the  modern  automatic  sprinkler 
system,  and  the  writer  also  shows  the  imperative  necessity  of 
reasonable  fire  tower  service  for  high  and  fully  equipped 
buildings. 

A  further  article  in  "The  Survey"  of  June  7,  1911,  by 
Mr.  H.  F.  J.  Porter,  Engineer,  of  New  York,  entitled  "Ward- 
ing Off  the  Factory  Fire  Panic  and  its  Loss  of  Life,"  shows 
the  imperative  necessity  of  adequate  fire  escapes  and  fire  drills 
in  factories. 


Every  indication  points  to  a  dual  duty  of  the  Trade  Asso- 
ciations of  this  country,  viz : — working  with  and  getting  tech- 
nical knowledge  and  experience  from  the  fire  insurance  or- 
ganization through  the  channel  of  membership  in  the  N.  F. 
P.  A.  on  one  hand  and  on  the  other  hand  forming  a  National 
League  with  State  Branches  and  town  and  city  sub-branches 
among  themselves,  which  will  be  dominated  by  themselves, — 
to  fight  fire  waste. 

The  Insurance  Organization  should  be  invited  into  this 
new  trade  association  to  fight  fire,  but  should  not  in  any  case 
exceed  more  than  25%  control  directly  or  indirectly.  Rough 
figures  obtainable  from  Government  statistics  show  that  there 
are  approximately  9,000  trade  associations  in  4,500  cities  and 
towns  in  this  country,  and  approximately  13,000  agricultural 
organizations  in  approximately  10,000  towns  and  villages  in 
this  country.  This  gives  abundant  material  with  which  to 
work  out  this  plan. 

I  have  been  committed  to  such  a  purpose  in  principle  for 
now  about  five  years  and  the  time  is  ripe  to  carry  it  into  effect. 
Several  National  Trade  Associations  of  which  I  am  a  member 
would,  I  believe,  at  this  time,  provide  limited  funds  to  start  a 
central  Bureau  for  this  purpose,  and  more  might  be  obtained 
if  the  need  and  advantages  of  such  a  course  were  made  plain, 
and  the  actual  management  proposed  should  show  itself  enti- 
tled to  confidence. 

At  least  $10,000.00  per  annum  should  be  provided  for  a 
competent  Manager,  skilled  in  insurance  and  fire  preventive 
work,  for  modern  office  and  stenographer,  and  primary  Con- 
stitutional, legal  and  engineering  advice. 

31 


The  duty  of  such  an  office  would  be  to  organize  member- 
ship all  over  the  country  from  Trade  Associations — first,  in 
State  Associations,  then  in  City  Associations.  Then  would 
follow  a  study  of  State  and  City  Laws  on  the  subject  through- 
out the  country,  and  the  preparation  and  advancement  of  better 
legislation,  and  the  actual  co-operation  with  the  different  State 
Associations,  and  their  constituent  City  members  to  get  these 
laws  enforced  effectively  through  an  Inspection  Corps — all  in 
friendly  co-operation  with  the  insurance  organizations. 

My  business  and  technical  training  for  some  years  have 
usually  safeguarded  me  from  embarking  in  chimerical  enter- 
prises. 

This  proposition,  however,  is  merely  a  continuance  of 
personal  and  in  a  measure  successful,  practical  work  I  have 
carried  on  at  my  own  expense  and  through  my  own  initiative 
for  about  five  years ;  and  I  am  sure  the  need  of  such  a  pro- 
gram is  here,  and  that  it  is  entirely  possible  and  probable  of 
success. 

I  would  be  glad  to  provide  the  present  necessary  office 
accommodation  and  part  of  the  time  of  a  highly  trained  Man- 
ager during  the  year  1912  to  initiate  this  work,  if  enough  sup- 
port can  be  secured  from  Trade  Associations  to  pay  the  stamps 
and  other  purely  incidental  expenses. 

If  a  year  carried  on  under  such  conditions  proves  itself 
worth  while,  greater  support  will  doubtless  be  forthcoming  to 
the  amount  necessary  to  insure  success. 

The  Association  should  be  called  the 

"AMERICAN  FIRE  PREVENTIVE  LEAGUE/' 

a  national  organization,  divided  into  State  branches  and  mu- 
nicipal sub-branches. 

It  is  time  for  us  to  stop  this  waste  in  life  and  property, 
and  the  way  to  stop  it  is  to  stop  it!  The  first  effort  must  be 
to  find  out  who  will  assist  in  this  work  by  raising  the  point 
in  an  entirely  impersonal  way,  so  well  illustrated  by  my  for- 
merly-quoted friend,  Mr.  Dean: 

"A  visitor  once  asked  the  janitor  in  a  lunatic  asylum, 
'How  do  you  tell  when  the  patients  are  insane?'  The  answer 
was :  'I  turns  on  the  water  in  the  basement  and  sets  'em  to 
moppin'  up  the  floors;  them  as  ain't  idjits  shuts  off  the  water.' 

We  have  many  water  faucets  running  in  our  national 
basement  and  have  apparently  just  bethought  ourselves  of 
the  advisability  of  shutting  them  off.  With  our  tendency  to 
invent  a  name  for  everything,  we  have  grouped  the  aggregate 

32 


flow  from  these  faucets  under  the  expressive  term  'National 
Waste/  and  of  all  these  faucets  that  have  been  deluging  our 
basement,  easily  the  first  in  volume  is  fire  waste." 

Won't  you  and  the  National  Board  of  Trade  now  help  in 
this  movement? 

POWELL  EVANS 
Chairman,    Fire    Prevention    Committee    Philadelphia 

Bureau  Municipal  Research 

Chairman,  Fire  Prevention  and  Insurance  Committees: 
National  Hardware  Association, 
National  Association  Sheet  Metal  Contrac- 
tors 

Former  Chairman,  like  Committees: 

National  Association  of  Credit  Men, 
National   Association   of  Manufacturers   of 
the  United  States. 


33 


SOME   TECHNIQUE    OF   FIRE   WASTE   CONTROL 

An  Address  Before  the  Boston  Society  of  Architects, 

Boston,  Mass.,  Feb.  16,  1912 

REPEATED  IN  PART  BEFORE  THE  PENNSYLVANIA  STATE  ASSO- 
CIATION OF  AMERICAN  INSTITUTE  OF  ARCHITECTS  AT 
THEIR  ANNUAL  MEETING,  PHILADELPHIA,  APRIL  9,  1912 

MR.  PRESIDENT  AND  GENTLEMEN  : — 

It  is  a  distinct  compliment  to  be  asked  to  speak  to  this 
Society  on  Fire  Prevention  and  Protection,  particularly  in 
view  of  the  active  interest  in  these  questions  in  this  city  at 
this  time. 

An  early  engineering  training  supplemented  by  later 
special  experience  in  the  manufacture  and  distribution  of 
Fire  Prevention  and  Protection  apparatus  have  brought  me 
into  close  contact  with  the  technical  bureaus  of  the  Insur- 
ance world  during  the  past  ten  years.  During  the  past  five 
years  particularly  I  have  appreciated  forcibly  the  serious 
and  far-reaching  economic  drain  on  this  country  caused  by 
our  largely  reducible  fire  waste,  and  have  carefully  studied 
the  subject  here  and  abroad  with  a  wider  view  and  deeper 
sympathy  than  that  engendered  by  merely  personal  inter- 
est. I  look  upon  Architects  and  Engineers  as  experts  in 
this  matter  particularly  "Down  East"  and  in  Boston.  Here 
is  a  centre  of  high  stock  fire  insurance  standard  and  prece- 
dent, and  the  home  of  the  mutual  fire  insurance  system, 
our  best  exemplars  in  this  work. 

I  venture  to  ask  this  question, — does  your  profession, 
speaking  of  the  country  at  large,  lay  sufficient  emphasis 
upon  fire  prevention  in  your  work,  or  do  your  clients,  or  the 
public  generally?  Any  informed  man  would  have  to  an- 
swer in  the  negative.  There  is  certainly  enough  authorita- 
tive data  on  the  subject,  but  it  is  not  used.  A  wave  of  public 
interest  has  begun  to  move  across  the  land  demanding  cor- 
rection of  current  fire  waste,  and  it  is  now  possible  to 
accomplish  reforms  which  even  a  few  years  ago  would  have 
been  thought  chimerical  and  almost  impossible. 

A  reasonable  minimum  of  Fire  Prevention  and  Protec- 
tion should  almost  subconsciously  run  through  all  new 
building  design,  and  all  change  and  all  improvement  of  old 
buildings, — touching  strength  and  character  of  materials 
(especially  with  reference  to  the  occupancy  hazard — even 
when  on  fire),  vertical  openings,  concealed  spaces,  etc.,  etc., 
to  the  end  of  the  physical  chapter. 

34 


In  machine  design  for  instance, — of  which  I  have  ex- 
perience in  the  manufacture  of  motor  car  parts, — even  the 
draughtsmen  are  taught  the  rudiments  of  selectable  mate- 
rials (so  that  a  casting  or  forging,  or  pressed  steel  part  may 
be  appropriately  employed),  and  of  pattern  making  (so  that 
unnecessarily  expensive  forms  may  be  avoided),  and  of 
machine  tool  practice  (so  that  the  finished  part  may  be 
economically  produced). 

In  this  way  a  harmonious  and  well  designed  assembly 
may  be  accomplished  without  any  sacrifice  to  its  final  use, 
while  still  safeguarding  the  best  practice  in  form  and  cost 
with  respect  to  its  parts. 

This  nearly  automatic  care  for  fundamental  essentials  in 
daily  work  may  be  seen  from  another  angle  of  view  in  ordi- 
nary corporation  practice  where  good  law  runs  through  all 
contracts  no  matter  how  small  or  temporary.  If  a  tran- 
sient wire  or  pipe  is  to  be  taken  across  a  railroad  right  of 
way,  the  physical  facts  are  advised  as  a  matter  of  course 
to  the  legal  department  for  wording  of  the  contract. 

Nothing  is  in  the  end  more  confusing  than  doing  a 
complex  thing  informally,  hence  systematic  and  nearly  au- 
tomatic provision  could  with  advantage  to  all  concerned  be 
thrown  around  all  your  work,  especially  in  the  preparation 
of  your  specifications,  touching  this  important  matter  of  the 
control  of  fire  danger  throughout  all  structures  under  your 
direction. 

Provision  for  fire  control  should  and  could  be  incorpo- 
rated in  all  building  construction, — from  its  commencement 
in  your  office  up  to  the  completed  structure, — and  without 
undue  cost  or  trouble,  if  your  system  of  work  anticipates 
it,  learns  it,  and  enforces  it  as  a  matter  of  course. 

Many  of  you  doubtless  do  not  need  this  suggestion,  but 
what  about  your  clients?  Ignorance,  indifference  and  self- 
interest  often  control  the  investor.  No  one  could  object  to 
a  man  operating  a  powder  mill  in  a  celluloid  building — if 
he  goes  far  enough  away  and  by  himself.  When  his  actions 
affect  others,  however,  social  control  should  take  command 
and  enact  and  enforce  minimum  requirement  laws,  to  the 
end  that  the  greatest  good  for  the  greatest  number  may  be 
conserved.  No  man  may  directly  commit  murder  or  destroy 
the  property  of  others,  no  matter  how  much  inclined  or  to 
his  interest,  and  equally  no  man  should  be  permitted  to  do 
either  of  these  things  indirectly  by  needlessly  causing  or 
allowing  a  dangerous  fire. 

In  populous  areas  paving,  sewers,  lights  and  police  are 
the  present  day  rule  of  civilization,  no  matter  if  they  do 
cost,  and  we  are  taxed  accordingly.  Why  then  should  the 

35 


pest  of  fire  danger  to  life  and  property  be  sidestepped  for 
years  because  it  costs  somebody  something? 

Since  the  fabled  Prometheus  first  brought  fire  to  man 
it  has  been  at  once  his  greatest  intimate  of  the  elements, 
his  greatest  friend  and  enemy — the  control  measuring  this 
relation. 

In  every  building  throughout  the  land,  in  every  life, 
everywhere  and  most  of  the  time,  we  use  fire  in  many 
forms.  We  should  control  it  as  widely,  but  have  failed  to 
realize  and  accomplish  this  truth. 

The  annual  and  increasing  fire  tax  in  this  country  ex- 
ceeds its  just  amount  by  fully  $150,000,000,  1000  deaths, 
4000  bad  accidents,  and  countless  cost  in  sickness  and  ner- 
vous suffering,  great  loss  of  wages  and  interruption  of  busi- 
ness— all  apart  from  the  high  related  cost  of  insurance  ex- 
penses and  city  fire  protection  and  fire  departments. 

We  are  a  great,  big  nation ;  and  beat  Europe  in  all  this 
about  ten  to  one. 

This  absolute  financial  loss  we  pay  patiently  and  con- 
tinually in  great  part  as  insurance  premiums;  and  here 
again  we  beat  Europe  many  times.  We  are  too  rich  and 
busy  as  a  nation  to  think  this  over  and  amend  it.  We  live 
high  and  complain  of  the  high  cost  of  living — but  the  world 
looks  on  and  calls  us  a  thriftless  lot.  We  have  grown  cal- 
lous to  this  "old  man  of  the  sea"  of  fire  waste,  and  have 
scarcely  considered  or  resented  his  long,  palsying  grip. 

There  are  no  better  friends  of  humanity  and  patriots 
than  those  who  cry  out  long,  loud,  and  successfully  in  this 
country  against  the  continuation  of  this  enormous  and 
largely  useless  loss  of  life  and  property. 

Most  of  this  waste  occurs  in  our  large  towns  and  cities, 
and  in  their  congested  central  areas. 

Analyze  this  fact,  and  you  will  find  the  small  tozvn  and 
suburb  to-day  is  the  city  of  to-morrow.  Many  complacent 
Americans  say  this  matter  is  too  large  and  deep  for  correc- 
tion within  a  generation.  Then  why  do  we  not  now  rea- 
sonably digest  this  view  in  part  and  so  build  that  the  future 
fire  danger  shall  decline  to  its  just  proportions  and  stay 
there — as  European  cities  in  the  great  majority  now  do  ? 

It  is  hard  to  get  the  idea  of  Fire  Prevention  into  the  mind 
of  Americans. 

Commercial  Associations  still  insist  on  forming  Fire  In- 
surance Committees  (often  to  fight  Insurance  rates),  instead 
of  Fire  Prevention  Committees  to  reduce  fire  waste  and  so 
automatically  lower  the  cost  of  Insurance. 

I  am  persuaded  that  those  who  design  and  construct 
buildings  are  not  as  fully  alive  to,  and  active  in,  this  prob- 

36 


!em  as  they  reasonably  should  be;  and  that  even  if  they 
were,  their  influence  is  limited ;  further — that  building  own- 
ers and  occupants  will  not  of  their  own  motion  travel  far 
or  fast  enough  to  give  proper  relief;  and  further, — that  the 
Insurance  world  as  a  whole  will  not  materially  pass  the 
limits  of  their  own  self-interest  in  curbing  the  evil,  and  are 
powerless  to  a  degree  if  they  would. 

My  reasons  for  this  view  cannot  be  fully  detailed  here 
for  lack  of  time,  but  were  given  in  an  address  last  Novem- 
ber before  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Camden,  N.  J.  (Text, 
page  12  herein.) 

There  is  no  question  but  that  the  technical  information 
and  experience  collected  for  a  century  by  the  Insurance  or- 
ganization is  ample  to  guide  the  public  in  reducing  the  fire 
danger  if  the  public  would  only  understand  and  use  it. 

This  remark  applies  to  the  Engineering  side  of  Insur- 
ance work.  In  the  Commercial  Underwriting,  or  command- 
ing interest,  however,  there  is  naturally  an  effort  on  the 
part  of  Underwriters  to  make  their  business  pay  the  high- 
est return — as  I  outlined  in  an  article  in  the  "Survey"  of 
July,  1911  (Text,  page  91),  and  in  a  pamphlet  on  the 
proposed  Fire  Marshal  Laws  in  Pennsylvania  in  April, 
1911  (Text,  page  112). 

The  Insurance  organisation  over  the  country,  as  I  see 
it,  is  too  large  for  a  personal  view.  It  is  a  mighty  influence 
that  will  always  continue  and  must  be  counted  in  any  cal- 
culation in  this  matter. 

Any  fair  man  who  knows  any  number  of  its  personnel 
must  like  and  respect  them  in  every  way — although  pos- 
sibly at  times  diverging  from  their  view  and  interest. 

Yet  the  size,  mystery  and  solidity  of  this  body,  added 
to  their  sure  knowledge,  makes  them  feared  and  suspected 
by  a  large  proportion  of  the  public  and  often  by  legislators 
— who  feel  they  are  apt  to  get  the  worst  of  any  joint  bar- 
gain. In  technical  standards,  and  detail  State  Fire  Preven- 
tion Associations,  they  naturally  do  and  will  continue  to 
lead.  In  legislation  and  public  education  the  business  men 
of  the  country  must  at  this  time  come  together  and  get 
actively  to  work  to  suppress  fire  waste. 

Now  having  indicated  the  reason  you  should  enter  this 
work  in  a  larger  way,  I  would  suggest  some  of  the  actual 
things  to  be  done. 

You  have  already  in  this  city  made  admirable  studies 
of  your  fire  danger  situation  in  your  "Report  of  Commission 
appointed  by  the  Mayor,  August  23,  1911,"  and  in  your 
"Report  of  the  Committee  on  Fire  Prevention  of  the  Cham- 

37 


her  of  Commerce,  September,  1911,"  and  finally,  in  the 
"Review  of  your  City  Club,  December  7,  1911." 

Internal  evidence  of  some  of  these  shows  full  confi- 
dence in  their  insurance  advisers.  I  would  suggest  that  you 
collect  at  the  same  time  all  further  facts  and  views  obtain- 
able so  that  no  one  influence  will  weigh  too  heavily  in  your 
final  actions  in  this  city. 

Mr.  Clarence  H.  Blackall,  Chairman  of  your  Chamber 
of  Commerce  Committee,  was  evidently  of  the  same  opinion 
when  talking  to  the  City  Club,  as  the  following  will  show : — 

"Something  like  two  years  ago  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce awoke — I  don't  know  for  the  first  time,  but  certainly 
did  then — to  the  fact  that  because  of  the  high  premiums  paid 
to  the  insurance  companies  there  must  be  some  way  to  save 
some  money  for  the  poor  merchants  who  had  little  left  after 
they  paid  their  insurance  bills.  So  they  appointed  a  com- 
mittee on  insurance  with  the  avowed  intention  of  reducing 
the  insurance  rates.  We  met  and  began  by  talking  to  the 
insurance  people. 

"There  was  not  a  single  insurance  man  on  our  committee, 
I  am  glad  to  say,  so  we  could  talk  with  perfect  freedom 
among  ourselves  and  call  in  all  the  experts  we  desired  from 
outside.  We  talked  with  the  leading  experts  here,  and  the 
representatives  of  the  National  Board  of  Underwriters,  and 
tried  to  find  out  what  the  condition  was.  We  very  soon 
changed  the  name  of  our  committee.  We  ceased  to  be  the 
"Committee  of  Fire  Insurance,"  and  became  "The  Committee 
of  Fire  Prevention"  which  is  a  very  different  thing." 

Your  efforts  almost  necessarily  must  lead  to  better- 
ment in  two  important  respects : — 

(1)  Physical  improvement  of  fire  hazard  in  the  com- 
munity, and 

(2)  Moral  improvement  of  fire  hazard  in  the  commu- 
nity. 

The  first  item  covers  the  definition  of  your  widest  (or 
city  limits)  with  a  mandatory  minimum  of  requirements 
for  (a)  new  building,  (b)  improvement  of  old  buildings, 
and  (c)  forced  retroactive  correction  to  a  reasonable  extent 
of  all  buildings  now  dangerous. 

Like  definitions  must  then  be  made  of  your  narrower 
(fire  limits)  area,  with  stricter  regulation;  and  finally  of 
your  central  (or  congested)  area,  with  the  strictest  regu- 
lation. 

This  requires  full  discussion  and  final  compromise  on 
your  whole  area  limit  legislation,  and  of  the  building  code 
applied  thereto, — a  large  job  but  a  pressing  one. 

38 


No  one  posted  in  this  matter  can  deny  but  that  every 
State  and  City  in  the  country,  almost  without  exception, 
imperatively  needs  a  new  building  code,  and  it  does  little 
good  in  any  one  section  of  the  country  to  have  one  without 
the  other.  They  should  supplement  each  other  so  that  the 
whole  area  of  each  State  in  time  will  be  under  control  of 
either  the  City  or  State  code.  Witness  the  remarks  of  one 
of  your  own  citizens  on  this  subject,  Hon.  Edward  Seaver, 
before  your  City  Club : — 

"Now  if  the  measure  proposed  by  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce to  ward  off  a  proposed  conflagration-  in  Boston  is 
opportune  and  desirable,  why  is  not  its  application  to  the 
entire  metropolitan  district  equally  opportune  and  desirable? 
We  are  all  in  one  boat  so  far  as  needs  common  to  all  the 
people  in  the  metropolitan  district  are  concerned.  If  the 
common  needs  of  water,  sewers,  and  parks  have  been  recog- 
nized and  treated  as  common  needs,  the  conflagration  peril 
is  a  common  danger  and  should  be  treated  as  a  metropolitan 
question.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Boston  narrowly  escaped 
from  the  late  Chelsea  disaster. 

"If  it  be  contended  that  the  proposed  action  must  be 
taken  sometime,  and  it  might  as  well  be  now,  the  same  is 
equally  true  of  the  metropolitan  district,  which  cannot  properly 
be  dissociated  from  Boston  where  tKere  is  a  need  or  danger 
common  to  all.  A  question  such  as  this,  going  beyond  the 
limited  confines  of  Boston,  might  better  be  treated  broadly  to 
cover  the  whole  field  of  danger  instead  of  a  part. 

"Our  committee  was  inclined  to  think  that  the  regulation 
of  all  building  construction  throughout  the  metropolitan  dis- 
trict is  a  desirable  common  need.  Building  laws,  not  limited 
to  Boston  alone,  but  covering  the  development  of  the  entire 
metropolitan  district  as  a  recognized  single  community  in 
essence,  would  inspire  a  more  orderly  march  of  progress  and 
work  for  the  common  good.  Such  action  will  have  to  be 
taken  sometime  and  it  might  as  well  be  now." 

Your  Chamber  of  Commerce  studies  of  building  costs 
seems  to  point  unanswerably  almost  to  the  exclusion  of 
wood  in  roofs  and  walls  anywhere  except  in  real  and  lasting 
country  areas ;  and  your  City  Committee  is  wise  in  endors- 
ing so  pointedly  this  view,  particularly  in  recommending 
non-inflammable  roofs, — all,  even  to  the  discomfort  of  the 
Lumber  Trust  and  speculative  builder  and  selfish  tenement 
landlord. 

As  to  the  protection  of  buildings,  it  is  not  enough  that 
a  building  should  of  itself  be  fire-proof,  but  it  should  con- 
tain proper  aids  to  protect  its  contents  in  life  and  property. 
The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Rochester  (N.  Y.)  in  its 
pamphlet  "Prevention  of  Fire,  1911,"  clearly  brings  up  this 
issue  in  the  following  statements : — 

39 


"In  Rochester  our  fire  fighters  reach  a  fire  in  the  business 
section  from  two  to  three  minutes  after  the  alarm  is  received, 
and  in  the  residence  section  from  three  to  four  minutes.  It 
must  be  evident  to  the  most  critical  that  the  cities  of  the 
United  States  are  doing  their  duty  through  and  with  the  fire 
departments.  (Sic) 

"It  seems  to  be  granted  that  all  fires  are  the  same  size 
when  they  start,  but  between  the  time  of  discovery  of  the 
fire  and  the  arrival  of  the  fire  fighters,  five  minutes  must 
elapse.  That  particular  five  minutes  is  the  vital  time  in  the 
life  of  the  fire,  the  time  when  it  gains  sufficient  foothold  to 
become  a  dangerous  blaze. 

"The  Fire  Marshall  of  the  City  of  Rochester  is  of  the 
opinion  that  a  certain  building  should  have  a  fire  escape  on 
it.  The  Superintendent  of  that  building  says  that  it  is  all 
nonsense,  that  the  building  is  fire-proof.  Buildings  may  be 
fire-proof — what  about  the  people?  Experience  teaches  that 
there  is  enough  inflammable  in  a  fire-proof  building  to  keep 
a  full  head  of  steam  on  a  boat  like  the  Lusitania  for  twenty- 
four  hours.  Time  and  again  fire-proof  buildings  have  with- 
stood the  fire,  but  the  people  inside  of  them  have  perished. 
Shouldn't  we  make  an  end  of  this  freedom  of  opinion  that 
costs  so  many  lives? 

"The  State  Capitol  at  Albany,  New  York,  has  just  burned. 
The  financial  loss  is  six  million  dollars.  The  loss  of  docu- 
ments and  records  is  priceless.  Here  are  the  exact  words 
of  a  man  who  was  in  the  building  when  the  fire  started: 
THE  FIRE  AT  THIS  TIME  COULD  HAVE  BEEN 
EASILY  PUT  OUT  WITH  A  PAIL  OR  TWO  OF  WATER. 
WE  SEARCHED  IN  VAIN  FOR  ANYTHING  TO 
SERVE  THE  PURPOSE.  THE  NIGHT  WATCHMAN 
RAN  DOWNSTAIRS  TO  SOUND  THE  ALARM,  THERE 
BEING  NO  ALARMS  IN  THE  BUILDING.  WHILE  WE 
WAITED  FOR  THE  DEPARTMENT-  This  building  at 
Albany  cost  twenty-seven  million  dollars,  and  was  not  equipped 
with  fire  alarms,  chemical  extinguishers,  or  even  pails  of 
water,  and  we  have  the  testimony  of  an  eye  witness  that  this 
fire  was  a  small  blaze  when  it  started. 

"There  is  too  much  confidence  placed  in  "fire-proof"  build- 
ings— a  furnace  is  'fire-proof  exactly  the  same  as  a  building 
is  'fire-proof  and  the  contents  of  a  furnace  will  burn  exactly 
as  the  contents  of  a  'fire-proof  building  do  burn.  The  build- 
ing in  New  York  was  'fire-proof.'  The  State  Capitol  at 
Albany  was  'fire-proof/  The  Cincinnati  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce was  'fire-proof,'  and,  in  each  case,  everything  inside  the 
building  has  gone — burned  out.  Do  not  make  a  fetich  of 
the  words  'fire-proof.'  A  powder  factory  might  be  'fire- 
proof.' " 

I  favor  the  extensive  use  of  Automatic  Sprinkler  in- 
stallations in  most  buildings  in  city  congested  areas  on  con- 
viction, even  if  the  City  or  State  makes  the  devices  and 

40 


pays  for  them  out  of  the  tax  rate  and  distributes  them  gratis 
to  citizens.  Your  Chamber  of  Commerce  study  of  Sprinkler 
installation  confirms  all  former  knowledge  and  experience 
as  to  the  reasonable  cost  and  thorough  merit  of  this  fire 
protection. 

Your  proposed  law  for  a  Bureau  of  Fire  incorporating 
certain  Sprinkler  protection,  endorsed  by  your  City  Com- 
mittee and  Chamber  of  Commerce,  is  in  line  with  the  pres- 
ent New  York  City  regulations  and  practice  in  this  partic- 
ular and  with  the  proposed  Chicago  ordinance. 

An  important  consideration  enters  here,  however,  with 
respect  to  the  mandatory  standard  required. 

As  you  adopt  any  economic  utility  and  force  its  wide 
use  by  law  you  should  protect  the  public  against  undue 
cost  from  any  cause.  I  believe  the  present  Underwriters' 
standards  (incorporated  in  most  existing  and  proposed 
legislation  on  this  subject)  on  Sprinkler  Installations  (not 
devices)  is  higher  than  proven  averages  demand.  For 
years — all  over  the  country — less  than  10  sprinkler  heads 
have  controlled  fully  90%  of  fires  originating  under  their 
protection. 

Yet  the  Underwriters'  standards  of  pipe  schedules, 
tanks,  pumps,  etc.,  have  been  carried  up  to  sizes  which 
would  supply  water  to  50%  of  all  heads  which  could  open 
in  any  area.  Hence,  a  material  increase  in  cost  of  any 
system  over  that  necessary  to  care  for  10  heads  or  less — 
or  90%  of  fires — solely  to  insure  a  minimum  Insurance  loss 
on  the  remaining  10%  of  fires  under  such  conditions. 

This  matter  has  been  the  cause  of  endless  discussion 
among  Underwriters  themselves  for  years  and  at  this  time 
they  are  by  no  means  a  unit  on  existing  rules.  I  know  of 
cases  where  the  sprinkler  head  and  pipe  system  proper  has 
been  less  than  half  the  total  cost, — the  major  part  of  the 
total  being  bulk  piping  and  adjuncts.  To  care  for  90%  of 
recorded  sprinkler  fires  no  system  needs  larger  than  3" 
pipe  anywhere — and  tanks  and  pumps  less  than  half  present 
requirements. 

Further — present  Underwriters'  rules  permit  nothing 
less  than  4"  connections  to  public  water  supplies^  hence 
connections  to  high  pressure  city  service  in  numbers  are 
dangerous  because  one  such  broken  connection  may  disable 
the  entire  high  pressure  system,  yet  i"  connections  (each 
provided  with  properly  worked  out  pressure  regulator  and 
strainer  combined  to  limit  pressure  and  assure  flow  through 
this  smaller  channel)  would  feed  the  90%  average  of 
Sprinkler  heads  that  open  in  fires,  and  this  rule  would  so 
reduce  the  danger  of  interruption  of  the  high  pressure  serv- 

41 


ice  through  breakage  or  leakage  of  such  connection  as  to 
be  reasonably  safe  and  hence  advisable. 

You  should  investigate  the  above  view  carefully  before 
reading  the  present  Underwriters'  requirements  into  such 
an  important  law.  You  must  also  train  firemen  to  under- 
stand and  use  of  Sprinkler  outlets  in  buildings  (demanded 
by  Underwriters  for  all  city  installations)  which,  in  most 
cities  throughout  the  country  except  St.  Louis,  are  rarely 
used,  and  in  Philadelphia  are  not  used  at  all. 

The  demand  for  modern  fire  engine  equipment  is  sound, 
yet  I  trust  the  day  will  come  when  American  municipalities 
will — as  has  long  since  been  the  rule  in  Europe — rely  more 
on  the  resistance  of  property  itself  than  on  many  men  and 
powerful  engines  pumping  tons  of  spray  haphazard  into 
building  interiors  to  reduce  fire  waste. 

The  necessity  of  prompt  notification  of  any  fire  to  the 
central  city  bureau  and  the  immediate  despatch  thereafter 
of  fire  fighting  apparatus,  as  emphasized  by  your  City  Com- 
mission, is  almost  self-evident,  and  every  city  in  this  coun- 
try must  bring  its  alarm  system  up  to  a  modern  and  efficient 
service. 

Physical  considerations  having  been  considered,  some 
emphasis  in  conclusion  may  be  laid  on  (2)  moral  consid- 
erations. 

Closely  related  to  the  above  discussed  physical  ques- 
tions are  the  moral  ones  of  occupancy,  housekeeping  or 
management,  and  organized  inspection  under  minimum  re- 
quirement laws  and  ordinances  to  insure  proper  conditions 
'in  these  respects. 

"Occupancy"  means  the  nature  of  the  business  con- 
ducted in  any  building,  which  must  determine,  first, — the 
specification  of  the  building  itself  for  normal  use  as  well 
as  in  the  event  of  fire  (because  it  considers  not  only 
strength  of  materials  for  use  intended,  but  also  in  the  event 
of  fire)  ;  and  as  well  determines  many  other  factors  of 
construction  and  protection,  having  regard  for  the  particu- 
lar trade  housed  and  the  way  it  is  actually  conducted; 
hence,  at  least  in  central  city  districts,  buildings  from  their 
inception  to  their  destruction  should  be  licensed  continually, 
annually  at  least,  for  occupancy.  When  a  building  is  con- 
structed for  any  purpose  it  should  be  licensed  for  that  pur- 
pose at  least  annually  both  as  to  persons,  pursuits,  and 
property  housed. 

If  the  use  of  any  building  is  changed  it  should  be  re- 
inspected  and  re-licensed  incorporating  mandatory  fresh 
conditions  precedent  to  any  new  use.  I  am  not  yet  clear  as  to 

42 


the  desirability  and  practicability  of  your  City  Commission 
proposal  to  impose  license  fees  on  trades  likely  to  cause  fires. 

This  subject  is  apart  from  that  of  "housekeeping" 
called  "management"  (by  Mutual  Insurance  Companies)  or 
the  continuous  daily  conduct  of  any  given  pursuit.  As  most 
fires  originate  from  bad  management  or  dirty  housekeeping, 
it  is  apparent  that  this  cause  should  be  diminished  as  much 
as  possible  through  the  control  of  minimum  regulation  and 
the  enforcement  thereof  by  competent  inspection. 

Every  little  effort  helps  as  a  matter  of  course  through- 
out this  work,  but  the  average  betterment  will  not  come 
over  the  country  at  large  until  average  control  of  building 
occupancy  and  housekeeping  conditions  are  incorporated  in 
the  fundamental  law  throughout  American  cities  and  mu- 
nicipalities and  continuously  enforced  for  a  number  of 
years. 

The  suggestion  of  your  Chamber  of  Commission  of  deny- 
ing insurance  on  buildings  and  contents  until  they  had  been 
approved  by  your  proposed  Fire  Bureau  impresses  me  as 
a  mischievous  and  even  dangerous  legislation,  for  reasons 
fully  set  forth  in  my  address  before  the  Fire  Underwriters' 
Association  of  the  Northwest,  in  the  fall  of  1911  (page  153 
herein). 

Let  insurance  issue  freely  in  honest  amounts — to  re- 
strict it  will  surely  affect  Boston's  credit.  Your  City  Com- 
mission recommends  very  clearly  and  wisely : — 

"To  decrease  the  possibility  of  fires  from  carelessness 
or  evasion  of  the  laws  and  ordinances,  (a)  The  immediate 
codification  of  all  laws  and  ordinances  relating  to  the  preven- 
tion of  and  protection  from  fire  and  the  protection  of  human 
life  from  fire  and  explosives  with  a  view  to  the  amendment 
of  such  laws  that  the  enforcing  power  shall  lie  in  one  central 
body." 

Its  explanation  of  this  recommendation  is  so  clear  and 
forceful  as  to  bear  repetition  here,  viz. : — 

"At  the  present  time  the  enforcement  of  laws  and  ordi- 
nances relating  to  the  protection  of  life  and  property  from 
fire  and  explosives  is  scattered  through  many  departments 
of  the  state  and  city.  Permits  for  the  transportation,  sale, 
use  or  storage  of  one  kind  of  explosives  are  issued  from  one 
office,  for  another  kind  from  another  office,  while  licenses  to 
operate  under  the  permits  come  from  still  other  offices. 

"In  the  last  analysis  the  Fire  Department  is  better  quali- 
fied to  pass  on  these  matters  and  the  most  interested  in  the 
enforcement  of  laws  and  ordinances  relating  to  them.  We 
are  of  the  opinion  that  all  such  laws  and  ordinances  should 
be  codified  and  amended  to  the  end  that  the  Fire  Department 

43 


have   entire   control    over   the   permits   and   licenses   and    the1 
making  of  reasonable  regulations  for  the  transportation,  sale, 
use  or  storage  of  explosives  or  highly  inflammable  substances ; 
and  initiatory  power  in  the  enforcement  of  laws,  ordinances- 
and  regulations. 

"Reasonable  fees  may  be  charged  for  such  licenses  or 
permits  and  similar  licenses  or  permits  should  be  required 
for  the  use  or  operation  of  certain  other  trades  likely  to 
cause  fire. 

"These  fees  and  the  moneys  accruing  from  fines  from 
violations  of  ordinances  relating  to  them  might  well  go  to 
a  pension  fund  for  the  Fire  Department.  New  York  has 
some  such  system. 

'The  entire  work  of  revising,  redrafting,  codification, 
fees,  etc.  is  so  great  as  to  warrant  a  special  commission  which 
should  draft  suitable  laws." 

Your  proposed  Fire  Bureau — which  would  be  a  com- 
mission having  the  same  powers  within  the  City  of  Boston 
as  the  Massachusetts  State  Fire  Marshal  has  without  the 
city — could  effectively  concentrate  responsibility  and  con- 
trol fire  danger  here,  but  your  Fire  Department  could  not. 

To  secure  satisfactory  results  you  must  separate  your 
"fire  prevention  and  inspection  service"  from  your  "fire  fight- 
ing service."  They  should  mutually  check  each  other.  Ade- 
quate inspection,  backed  by  proper  legal  power,  alone  will 
control  the  ignorance,  carelessness  and  selfishness  of  prop- 
erty owners  and  users  in  our  cities.  Boston  is  not  alone 
in  this  difficulty  about  her  fire  danger.  New  York,  Chi- 
cago, Philadelphia,  Newark,  Rochester,  Seattle  and  Bir- 
mingham are  among  those  progressive  communities  which 
are  now  struggling  with  the  same  chaos  in  this  matter 
which  confronts  you  here. 

Most  American  cities  are  yet  without  interest  in,  or 
realization  of,  their  danger  in  this  respect  and  still  gamble 
on  "nothing  very  bad  happening."  It  does  not  seem  enough 
to  get  proper  laws  studied,  prepared  and  enacted.  For  in- 
stance, a  State  Fire  Marshal  Law  was  passed  nearly  a  year 
ago  in  Pennsylvania  and  an  appropriation  of  $70,000  per 
annum  made  by  the  Legislature  for  this  work,  and  yet  the 
Governor  of  the  State,  who  signed  this  law,  has  virtually 
nullified  it  to  date  by  neglecting  to  appoint  and  organize  the 
department  under  the  law,  and  no  influence  has  yet  been 
able  to  move  him  to  take  this  step. 

Again,  the  Pennsylvania  Legislature  passed  a  Fire 
Marshal  Law  for  the  City  of  Philadelphia  during  the  past 
year,  and  the  Fire  Marshal  was  appointed,  but  the  actual 

44 


conduct  of  the  office  by  the  official  in  charge  has  so  lacked 
in  scope  and  efficiency  as  to  have  virtually  nullified  the 
law. 

The  control  of  American  fire  waste  must  come  from 
competent  study  of  existing  laws  in  each  State  and  city 
and  a  preparation,  enactment  and  enforcement  of  proper 
legislation  to  correct  present  bad  conditions  everywhere. 

It  then  becomes  necessary  to  so  organize  public  opin- 
ion with  such  political  force  behind  it  that  our  Executives  of 
the  City  or  State  will  actually  force  these  studied  and  enacted 
regulations. 

If  our  former  immense  and  largely  needless  life  and 
property  loss  from  fire  waste  all  over  this  country  will  bring 
these  truths  home  to  the  people  so  that  all  States  and  their 
Cities  will  enforce  substantially  uniform  minimum  regula- 
tions simultaneously  to  control  this  danger  in  the  future, 
then  the  price  has  not  been  too  great  to  have  paid  for  such 
a  future. 

Workmen,  women  particularly,  and  the  labor  unions, 
certainly  suffer  most  from  present  fire  danger  and  should  be 
first  to  advocate  this  entire  movement. 

I  trust  that  you  as  Architects  and  Engineers  will  spread 
this  doctrine  more  actively  through  your  clients  to  the 
public  and  hold  it  fully  in  mind  in  all  your  future  work. 

I  again  thank  you  for  the  courtesy  of  this  invitation 
and  the  time  you  have  accorded  me  this  evening. 

POWELL  EVANS 


45 


State  Fire  Prevention  Association  Work 

This  work  must  almost  of  necessity  be  organized  and 
conducted  by  Insurance  experts  because  of  its  extremely 
technical  nature.  The  following  letter  so  clearly  discloses 
its  nature,  scope  and  methods,  that  it  is  given  verbatim : 

OHIO  STATE  FIRE  PREVENTION  ASSOCIATION 

S.  C.  Neff,  Secretary-Treasurer 

808  New  First  National  Bank  Building 

Columbus,  Ohio 

June  3,  1911. 
MR.  POWELL  EVANS, 

c/o  MERCHANT  &  EVANS, 
PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 

Dear  Sir:-— 

The  writer  is  of  the  impression  that  your  name  was- 
suggested  during  the  meeting  of  the  National  Fire  Protec- 
tion Association  as  one  who  would  be  interested  in  the  work 
of  forming  a  PENNSYLVANIA  STATE  FIRE  PRE- 
VENTION ASSOCIATIpN,  and  I  therefore  take  the  lib- 
erty of  sending  you  specimen  copies  of  our  work  together 
with  copy  of  our  Constitution  and  By-Laws.  The  latter 
has  been  copied  in  most  of  the  associations.  You  will  notice 
particularly  that  we  give  ourselves  the  title,  which  is  of 
great  advantage,  of  a  state  Association. 

I  am  forwarding  you  a  copy  of  the  Executive  Commit- 
tee's report  for  the  past  year,  which  will  give  you  a  general 
idea  of  the  work  attempted  and  accomplished,  and  I  give 
below  our  method  in  the  matter  of  inspections : — 

The  Executive  Committee  appoints  a  date  and  town  for 
inspection.  The  Chairman  of  the  Committee  calls  a  meet- 
ing of  his  committee  at  that  town  (or  towns),  and  on  their 
arrival  a  fire  map  of  the  town  is  borrowed  from  one  of  the 
local  agents  and  placed  in  a  general  meeting  room  in  the 
leading  hotel.  The  assignments  by  blocks  are  then  made 
to  one  or  more  individuals  (members)  to  inspect  the  risks 
in  that  block  and  report  back  to  the  Chairman  or  member 
detailed  to  supervise  the  clerical  end  of  the  work.  I  should 
state  that  the  meeting  of  the  Executive  Committee,  as  a 
rule,  is  called  the  day  in  advance  of  the  general  call  for 
inspection  in  order  that  everything  may  be  made  ready  for 
the  work  of  the  next  da  and  no  time  lost. 


After  making  the  inspections,  as  per  the  slips  (copy 
enclosed  with  data  forwarded),  the  member  writes  out  a 
"Request"  notice  for  the  owner  of  the  risk  where  a  defect 
is  found  and  correction  desired,  and  when  all  are  through 
these  inspection  slips  and  requests  are  all  gathered  together 
and  taken  (or  expressed)  to  the  Secretary  who  sends  out 
the  requests  from  the  Columbus  office  and  compiles  the 
data  for  report  and  bulletin  to  the  companies, — all  matter 
being  gone  over  by  the  Executive  Committee  or  Chairman 
before  bulletin  goes  out.  The  Secretary,  in  the  case  of  the 
Ohio  Association,  is  a  lady  who  has  her  office  in  one  of  the 
buildings  and  takes  care  of  all  our  correspondence,  steno- 
graphic work,  etc.,  and  is  also  our  Treasurer.  We  felt  this 
to  be  the  best  method  in  order  that  matters  may  have  im- 
mediate attention  at  some  distinct  point  in  the  State. 

While  the  work  of  inspection  is  going  on,  the  Law  and 
Ordinance  Committee  meet  at  some  appointed  place  with 
the  City  Officials  and  Local  Agents  and  state  the  object  of 
their  coming,  asking  for  assistance,  and,  generally  getting 
acquaintance. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Chairman  of  the  Publicity  Com- 
mittee cultivates  the  newspaper  men,  not  only  reporters  but 
editors  and  managers,  and  states  the  reason  for  their  com- 
ing and  the  aim  and  work  of  the  Association  in  a  general 
way.  We  have  found  these  publicity  meetings  and  the 
work  of  the  Publicity  Committee  to  be  very  valuable,  as 
it  gives  weight  to  our  requests  for  correction. 

Rubbishy  conditions  are  the  chief  defects  to  be  looked 
for,  also  defective  electric  wiring,  rubber  hose  gas  connec- 
tions, swinging  gas  jets,  etc.,  which  form  the  main  part  of 
our  requests  for  correction.  The  question  of  general  clean- 
liness is  the  most  important. 

While  this  work  of  inspection  is  going  on,  the  Fire 
Protection  and  Water  Supply  Committee  takes  up  the 
question  of  the  condition  in  the  waterworks,  in  connection 
with  the  proper  Rating  Bureau  authorities.  It  is  of  very 
great  importance  that  field  men  should  not  make  a  report 
upon  deficiencies  in  water  supplies,  except  with  the  full 
recommendation  of  the  proper  authorities,  which  matters 
should  go  to  the  Bureau  authorities.  It  is  here  we  may  be 
led  into  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  It  is  not,  as  a  rule,  wise 
for  a  field  man  to  report  on  the  lack  of  or  necessity  for 
various  forms  of  protection,  for  while  some  of  them  are 
capable  to  do  this  others  are  not  and  it  is  hard  to  draw  the 
line.  In  our  State  we  work  with  the  Engineers  of  the  Local 
Inspection  Bureau  and  they  are  members  of  our  Committee 
on  Fire  Protection  and  Water  Supplies. 

47 


We  make  no  town  reports,  although  some  of  the  West- 
ern State  Associations  have  done  so,  but  I  do  not  think 
they  are  continuing  the  work.  We  can  report  deficiencies, 
you  understand,  as  we  see  them,  referring  the  matter  for 
attention  to  some  qualified  and  authorized  engineer.  I  dwell 
on  this  matter  because  it  is  very  important,  and  that  is  part 
of  the  work  of  the  "Committee  on  State  Fire  Prevention 
Associations"  of  the  National  body  to  get  uniformity  of 
action.  You  will  readily  understand  that  a  false  standard 
recommended  would  only  place  the  association  in  a  false 
light,  when  the  subject  of  rating  would  become  connected 
with  such  a  recommendation.  We  do,  however,  visit  cities 
and  urge  them  to  vote  on  town  issues  to  raise  money  to 
buy  equipment  and  furnish  water  supplies  after  the  proper 
Bureau  or  authorities  have  made  recommendations.  We 
warn  cities  against  unscrupulous  contractors  who  may  be 
liable  to  overlook  the  standards  of  requirements  which 
would  enable  cities  to  obtain  a  better  rating.  In  this  way 
we  touch  on  rates,  but  in  no  other  fashion  as  we  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  rates. 

Certain  of  our  members  belong  to  the  Credit  Men's 
Association  in  the  several  towns,  and  our  orators — if  you 
wish  to  use  the  expression — have  been  invited  to  address 
these  associations  and  explain  our  work  and  urge  co-opera- 
tion. Business  men's  clubs,  in  like  manner,  and  Chambers 
of  Commerce,  we  have  no  hesitancy  in  addressing,  and  this 
publicity  about  the  standards  and  requirements  of  our  busi- 
ness and  necessity  of  co-operation  on  the  part  of  the  public 
have  led  to  very  good  results. 

It  is  an  interesting  work,  and  we  find  that  each  man 
representing  a  company,  having  given  his  allotted  time  to 
the  burden  of  the  work,  is  allowed  to  retire  and  some  one 
else  come  on  the  next  year  to  take  his  place.  In  this  divi- 
sion of  work  we  find  we  have  good  results. 

We  heartily  co-operate  and  are  respected  by  the  Offi- 
cials of  the  State,  particularly  with  the  office  of  the  State 
Fire  Marshal,  Work  Shops  and  Factories,  and  the  State 
Board  of  Health.  We  show  them  that  we  can  be  of  assist- 
ance to  them  and  we  do  all  in  our  power  to  help  the  men 
of  the  State  Government.  We  invite  them  to  our  banquets, 
and  they  sit  with  us  without  any  dread  of  there  being  any 
political  issue  in  the  matter.  The  results  of  our  work  have 
shown,  in  Ohio  at  least,  a  hearty  co-operation  from  all 
classes  of  men  interested  in  the  physical  welfare  of  the 
State,  and  this  has  been  a  matter  of  surprise  to  many  of  us 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  prejudice  against  insurance  com- 
panies has  been  so  great  that  we  feared  little  could  be  ac- 

48 


complished.  It  is  particularly  to  the  lowering  of  the  loss 
ratio  in  Ohio  since  this  work  was  started  that  we  point  with 
some  pride.  We  feel  that  this  work  has  brought  about 
tangible  results,  and  while  it  is  only  preliminary  to  better 
things,  it  is  a  stepping  stone  at  least  to  organized  effort  and 
will  ultimately  educate  the  public  to  help  themselves. 

We  admit  anyone,  union,  non-union,  mutual,  or  any 
citizen  of  the  State  to  membership.  We  have  local  agents, 
and  special  agents,  of  all  classes,  and  as  a  rule  we  feel  that 
this  has  not  been  detrimental  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
business. 

It  is  rather  difficult  by  letter  to  show  you  what  we  have 
done,  but  we  will  be  glad  to  answer  any  questions  or  be  of 
any  assistance  to  you  that  may  be  in  our  power,  and  trust- 
ing the  foregoing  information  may  be  of  some  value  to  you, 
beg  to  remain 

Very  truly  yours, 

WM.  B.  GODWIN 
Chairman  N.  P.  P.  A.  Committee  on  State  Fire 

Prevention  Associations 


49 


PHILADELPHIA  FIRE  PREVENTION  COMMITTEE: 
State  and  Municipal  Needs  All  Over  Country 

It  will  be  noted  that  wherever  public-spirited  citizens,  indi- 
vidually or  partially  organized  in  different  states  and  cities, 
have  been  forced  in  self-defense  to  commence  a  real  fight 
against  fire  waste,  the  same  need  of  reform  becomes  plainly 
and  immediately  evident  after  the  most  primary  investigation. 

The  steps  towards  progress  in  any  community,  while 
differing  in  degree  and  characteristics,  must  always  follow 
the  same  lines,  viz. :  ( i )  Study — legal,  physical  and  political ; 
(2)  elimination  of  bad  and  useless  rules ;  and  substitution 
of  modern,  co-ordinated  and  centralized  control,  and  (3) 
the  actual  search  for  straight,  competent  and  experienced 
men  to  get  on  the  job  and  get  results. 

Real  results  for  the  whole  United  States  will  only 
come  when  all  these  local  groups  (working  to  control  and 
reduce  fire  waste)  come  together  into  national  organization 
divorced  from  any  selfish  and  special  interest ;  and  man  the 
country  at  every  State  Capital  and  city  centre  of  congestion; 
and  in  experienced,  disinterested,  union  force  uniform  good 
regulations  everywhere  at  the  same  time — to  wipe  out  this 
shameful  and  needless  drain  on  life  and  property  in  this 
progressive  nation. 

POWELL  EVANS. 


Following  are  selections  from  current  newspaper  com- 
ments on  the  Philadelphia  Fire  Prevention  report,  and  the 
appointment  of  the  recent  Phila.  Fire  Prevention  Committee. 


SHARP  ATTACK  MADE  ON  FIRE  MARSHALL 

Commission  Reports  That  His  Office  is  Weakest  Link  in  City's 
System — Reorganisation  Suggested 

The  special  commission  appointed  by  Director  Porter, 
two  months  ago,  to  investigate  the  condition  of  the  city's 
fire  protective  system  and  the  conditions  surrounding  the 
fire  losses,  has  recommended  a  radical  reorganization  of  the 
fire  marshairs  department  and  changes  in  the  relationship 
of  several  of  the  municipal  bureaus. 

The  commission  submitted  a  preliminary  report  to  the 
Director  yesterday.  The  investigators  are  Charles  A.  Hex- 
amer,  secretary  of  the  Fire  Underwriters'  Association;  Dr. 

50 


Jesse  D.  Burks,  director  of  the  Bureau  of  Municipal  Re- 
search, and  Powell  Evans,  chairman  of  the  fire  prevention 
committees  of  several  organizations. 

Their  report  indicates  that  there  are  many  weaknesses 
and  a  lack  of  co-ordinate  effort  in  several  of  the  bureaus 
under  the  Departments  of  Public  Safety  and  Public  Works. 
The  fire  marshall's  department,  they  say,  is  especially  in 
need  of  reorganization.  They  say  that  this  department  de- 
votes most  of  its  time  to  investigating  fires  after  the  damage 
has  been  done,  and  that  the  fire  marshall  turns  over  but  little 
more  information  regarding  the  cause  of  the  fire  than  is 
already  known  through  the  police  and  firemen.  The  report 
says  that  little  if  any  practical  use  is  made  of  the  informa- 
tion turned  in  by  the  fire  marshall. 

DIRECTOR  PORTER  WILL  ACT 

Director  Porter  said  after  receiving  the  report  that  in 
accordance  with  the  recommendations  of  the  experts  he  would 
at  once  communicate  with  a  number  of  gentlemen  who  had 
made  a  study  for  years  past  of  the  fire  situation  to  learn 
whether  they  would  be  willing  to  tender  their  services  as 
members  of  the  proposed  commission. 

He  said  he  would  also  at  once  notify  Mayor  Blanken- 
burg  and  suggest  the  formation  of  the  commission  to  consider 
the  whole  subject  as  outlined  in  the  report.  He  said  the  Phila- 
delphia Fire  Underwriters'  Association  had  sent  to  him  a  list 
of  hundreds  of  buildings  in  the  city  which  were  equipped  with 
fire-sprinkling  apparatus  so  arranged  that  attachments  could 
be  made  directly  to  the  city's  fire  engines  and  have  streams  of 
water  pouring  upon  fires  in  lofty  buildings  long  before  there 
would  be  any  chance  to  drag  lines  of  hose  up  ladders  or  erect 
water  towers.  He  said  he  had  just  learned  that  the  buildings 
at  Franklin  and  Vine  streets,  which  were  recently  destroyed 
by  fire,  were  provided  with  the  system  and  that  the  chances 
were  that  they  might  have  been  saved  had  it  been  known  to 
the  firemen  that  it  was  in  existence. 

He  said  he  had  forwarded  the  list  to  Chief  Waters,  of  the 
Bureau  of  Fire,  asking  him  to  have  a  record  made  of  the  loca- 
tion of  each  and  every  structure  mentioned,  so  that  in  the 
event  of  a  fire  occurring  in  any  of  them  the  firemen  might 
know  that  the  sprinkler  system  was  there  ready  for  use. 

When  asked  whether  in  consequence  of  the  criticism  by 
the  committee  of  the  workings  of  the  Fire  Marshal's  depart- 
ment he  had  any  intention  of  abolishing  it  or  consolidating  it 
with  some  other  department,  the  Director  replied  emphatically 
that  he  had  no  such  purpose. — Philadelphia  Public  Ledger,. 
March  22,  1912. 

51 


BETTER  FIRE  PROTECTION 
Prominent  Men  Selected  to  Investigate  the  Problem 

Director  Porter  was  authorized  yesterday  by  Mayor 
'Blankenburg  to  appoint  the  following  persons,  whom  the 
Director  had  suggested,  as  a  commission  to  investigate 
thoroughly  all  matters  pertaining  to  fire  protection  and  pre- 
vention in  Philadelphia: 

Powell  Evans,  chairman,  Fire  Prevention  Committees, 
Bureau  of  Municipal  Research,  National  Hardware  Asso- 
ciation, National  Association  Sheet  Metal  Contractors,  Na- 
tional Association  of  Manufacturers. 

William  T.  Haddock,  superintendent  of  construction, 
John  Wanamaker  stores. 

Charles  A.  Hexamer,  secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  Fire 
Underwriters'  Association  (past  president  of  the  National 
Fire  Protection  Association). 

James  Collins  Jones,  chairman  of  the  Standing  Com- 
•mittee  on  Law,  Philadelphia  Chamber  of  Commerce;  also 
-director  trustee  of  the  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research. 

Charles  H.  Ludington,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
Curtis  Publishing  Company. 

R.  H.  Newburn,  superintendent  of  insurance,  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  Company. 

Robert  S.  Perry,  president  of  Harrison  Brothers  &  Co., 
Inc. 

Dr.  Jesse  D.  Burks,  director  of  the  Bureau  of  Municipal 
'Research. 

In  his  letter  to  the  Director  Mayor  Blankenburg  said 
-that  while  Philadelphia  has  been  most  fortunate  in  its  low 
ratio  of  fires,  it  is  highly  desirable  that  every  additional  pre- 
caution be  taken  to  still  further  reduce  the  loss. 

Director  Porter  said  that  the  commissioners  would  be 
free  to  confer  with  anybody  they  felt  like  in  the  quest  of 
information.  He  said  they  realized  the  enormous  impor- 
tance of  the  subject  and  its  far-reaching  results,  and  that 
he  would  not  interfere  at  all  with  them.  They  would  have 
unlimited  time,  he  said,  in  which  to  make  their  investigation, 
.and  at  the  end  of  the  inquiry  would  make  a  report. — Philadel- 
phia Public  Ledger,  April  25,  1912. 

NOTE. — Since  the  above  announcement,  Mr.  Ludington  has 
found  that  other  engagements  will  not  permit  him  to  serve.  Mr. 

D.  Knickerbacker  Boyd,  a  well-known  architect  (formerly  Presi- 
dent Pennsylvania  State  and  Philadelphia  Chapter  of  American 
Institute  of  Architects),  and  Mr.  Walter  F.  Ballinger,  a  repre- 

rsentative  mill  engineer,  have  been  added  to  the  commission. 

52 


Members  of  the  new  Fire  Commission,  appointed  to* 
study  the  problems  of  prevention  and  protection,  announced 
that  their  inquiry  will  be  thorough  and  will  be  begun  soon. 
— Philadelphia  Public  Ledger,  April  26,  1912. 


RIGID  INQUIRY  BY  FIRE  COMMISSION 

Investigators  Will  Go  Deeply  Into  the  Subject  of  Preventive- 
Measures—Ask  the  Public  to  Help— Will  Take  Up  Mat- 
ter from  Every  Standpoint,  and  urge  vigorous  action. 

Work  by  the  new  commission  appointed  by  Mayor 
Blankenburg,  through  the  Director  of  Public  Safety,  to  con- 
duct an  extensive  investigation  into  Philadelphia's  system^ 
of  fire  protection  is  to  start  in  earnest  within  the  next  few 
days.  The  members  of  the  body  have  the  whole  power  of 
Director  Porter's  department  at  their  backs,  and  Powell 
Evans,  the  chairman,  declared  yesterday  that  no  matter  who- 
the  disclosures  hurt,  the  commission  intends  to  make  known 
to  the  municipal  authorities  anything  it  considers  a  menace- 
to  the  public,  and  to  insist  on  the  evil  being  corrected. 

Plans  of  the  commission  are  not  yet  in  concrete  shape. 
Even  the  chairman  does  not  yet  know  on  just  what  date 
he  will  call  the  first  meeting.  It  was  announced  yesterday,, 
however,  that  an  exhaustive,  systematic  study  of  every- 
thing relating  to  the  subject  of  fire  protection  will  be  made. 

Members  of  the  commission  will  be  empowered  to  enter- 
any  building  they  see  fit,  examine  its  structure,  its  fire- 
escape  facilities  or  its  contents.  Factories  and  shops  where- 
large  numbers  of  men,  women  and  children  are  employed: 
will  likely  be  among  the  first  to  come  under  their  notice.. 
Moving  picture  enterprises  will  also  be  investigated  care- 
fully. 

Many  of  the  owners  of  moving  picture  shows  in  this- 
city,  it  was  declared,  do  not  properly  safeguard  the  lives 
of  their  patrons.  Inadequate  fire  exits,  poor  electric  wiring, 
and  other  evils  exist,  it  is  charged,  in  many  of  the  houses. 

ASK  ALL  TO   HELP 

Co-operation  is  to  be  the  watchword  of  the  men  who- 
will  engage  in  this  work.  They  will  carry  on  the  investiga- 
tion in  a  thorough,  quiet  manner,  endeavoring  wherever 
possible  to  induce  owners  of  buildings  to  remedy  poor  con- 
ditions without  recourse  to  law. 

Where  evils  are  found  that  are  the  result  of  a  lack  of 
proper  knowledge  concerning  fire  prevention  the  commis- 
sion will  teach. 

53 


Cleanliness  as  a  feature  of  fire  prevention  is  a  point 
that  will  be  strongly  brought  out.  It  will  be  shown  that  a 
fire  starting  in  a  cellar  will  spread  with  fearful  rapidity  if 
the  cellar  is  filled  with  dirty  paper  or  collections  of  rags, 
.and  also  that  if  no  refuse  is  present  the  danger  of  a  blaze 
is  reduced  to  a  minimum. 

Mr.  Evans  said  that  he  would  like  to  have  every  person 
in  Philadelphia  consider  himself  a  part  of  the  new  commis- 
sion and  help  along  the  good  work  by  keeping  eyes  open 
for  evidence  of  negligence  or  unsatisfactory  conditions. 
Reports  from  anyone  who  may  discover  a  menacing  con- 
dition will  be  kept  absolutely  confidential  by  the  commis- 
sion and  looked  into  immediately. 

Powell  Evans  is  also  chairman  of  the  fire  prevention 
committee  of  the  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research,  the  Na- 
tional Hardware  Association,  the  National  Association  of 
Sheet  Metal  Contractors  and  the  National  Association  of 
Manufacturers.  Concerning  the  investigation  into  this  city's 
"fire  conditions,  he  said: 

"Our  investigation  is  to  be  of  the  widest  scope  imagin- 
able. We  shall  not  let  a  detail  escape  us.  Everything  from 
the  condition  of  the  Fire  Department  up  will  be  looked  into. 

"Why,  a  fireman  told  me  the  other  day  that  at  a  recent 
fire  he  had  to  try  half  a  dozen  connections  before  he  was 
-able  to  play  water  on  the  flames.  This  shows  something 
radically  wrong  with  present  equipment. 

"This  commission  was  appointed  by  Mayor  Blanken- 
burg  following  a  request  of  the  Bureau  of  Municipal  Re- 
search. It  is  composed  of  men  who  know  the  business  from 
-every  angle. 

"William  T.  Haddock,  former  Director  of  Public 
Works,  is  in  a  position  to  know  the  very  latest  concerning 
the  way  a  structure  should  be  erected  most  safely.  Charles 
A.  Hexamer,  secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  Fire  Underwrit- 
ers' Association,  probably  knows  more  about  the  origin  of 
fires  than  any  man  in  the  country.  James  Collins  Jones,  of 
the  Philadelphia  Chamber  of  Commerce,  was  active  in  pre- 
paring the  recent  report  on  the  subject  of  fire  prevention 
made  to  the  city  by  the  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research,  and 
for  years  R.  H.  Newburn  has  had  charge  of  the  insurance 
business  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 

"Dr.  Jesse  D.  Burks,  head  of  the  Research  Bureau,  is 
the  student  of  the  commission,  and  his  experience  and 
"knowledge  will  be  of  inestimable  value,  while  valuable 
pointers  will  be  given  by  Robert  S.  Perry,  of  Harrison  Bros. 
<&  Co. 

54 


"Besides  Charles  H.  Ludington,  treasurer  of  the  Curtis 
Publishing  Company,  who  is  the  ninth  member  of  the  com- 
mission, two  more  men  are  to  be  appointed.  It  is  likely 
that  these  will  be  an  architect  and  an  engineer. 

"It's  a  safe  bet  that  not  a  member  of  this  committee  can 
be  'reached,'  no  matter  how  great  a  financial  temptation  is 
the  stake.  If  evils  are  found  disclosures  will  be  made,  no 
matter  whom  they  hurt. 

"I  do  not  know  how  we  are  going  about  this  investiga- 
tion. It  is  too  early  to  make  any  such  an  announcement. 

EXPECTS   VIGOROUS   ACTION 

"Since  Director  Porter  has  named  this  committee  and 
told  us  to  go  ahead,  the  public  may  rest  assured  we  will 
have  every  support  and  power  his  office  can  give  us. 

"When  Henry  Clay  was  at  the  head  of  the  department 
he  was  told  of  certain  evils  existing  in  moving  picture 
houses,  but  did  nothing  to  remedy  them.  I  think  that  if 
our  investigation  turns  up  things  that  should  be  remedied 
Director  Porter  will  not  be  so  inactive. 

"One  of  the  first  things  necessary,  I  presume,  is  for  the 
commission  to  issue  a  call  to  Philadelphians  who  can  afford 
it  to  supply  money  to  carry  on  the  great  work.  Fortunately, 
this  city  at  this  time  is  filled  with  just  such  public-spirited 
persons,  who  are  willing  to  go  down  in  their  pockets  and 
help,  especially  when  it  is  so  generally  known  that  the  city 
has  no  cash  to  offer. 

"Garages,  factory  buildings,  stores,  structures  of  every 
sort  will  come  under  the  supervision  of  this  commission  in 
its  investigation.  Effort  will  be  made  to  discover  places 
where  unlawful  quantities  of  volatile  liquids  or  compounds 
.are  stored  and  their  presence  reported  to  the  proper  authori- 
ties. 

"In  a  recent  fire  on  Market  street  it  was  found  that 
six  times  as  much  calcium  carbide  was  stored  as  is  per- 
mitted. Had  water  reached  this  drug  and  the  quantity  of 
acetylene  gas  that  would  be  engendered  been  released  an 
explosion  would  have  resulted  that  would  have  destroyed 
millions  in  property  and,  in  all  probability,  hundreds  of 
lives. 

"There  are  saloons  in  town  in  the  cellars  of  which  are 
kept  altogether  too  large  quantities  of  brandy  and  other  in- 
flammable liquors.  This  phase  of  the  situation  will  be 
looked  into. 

"It  is  impossible  to  tell  off-hand  just  what  this  commis- 
sion will  do.  Its  work  will  be  mapped  out  as  the  work  pre- 
sents itself.  The  public  can  be  of  vast  help  in  this  investi- 

55 


gation  by  co-operating.  I  would  like  every  one  who  learns 
anything  by  private  investigation  to  communicate  at  once 
with  me  or  some  member  of  the  commission.  His  message 
will  be  treated  in  utmost  confidence  and  we  will  be  most 
grateful  for  such  assistance." — Philadelphia  Public  Ledger, 
April  26,  1912. 


EDITORIAL 
FIRE  PREVENTION 

The  commission  just  appointed  by  Director  Porter, 
under  the  authority  of  Mayor  Blankenburg,  to  investigate 
the  question  of  fire  protection  and  prevention  in  Philadel- 
phia has  committed  to  it,  in  an  intensely  practical  way,  one 
aspect  of  the  vital  problem  of  national  conservation.  Amer- 
ica has  been  criminally  careless  in  the  matter  of  fire  pre- 
vention, and  the  annual  wealth  which  goes  into  the  ash 
heap  is  one  of  the  most  severe  arraignments  of  our  civiliza- 
tion. It  is  only  by  attacking  the  problem  in  detail  that  last- 
ing results  can  be  accomplished,  and  the  inclusion  in  the 
present  commission  of  representatives  of  the  insurance  as 
well  as  of  the  manufacturing  and  building  interests  shows 
that  there  is  no  intention  of  shirking  any  portion  of  the 
responsibility. 

The  problem  of  fire  protection  in  Philadelphia  has 
already  been  exhaustively  studied  from  the  standpoint  of 
the  underwriters,  but  the  relation  of  those  studies  in  the 
past  to  the  matter  of  insurance  premiums,  the  element  of 
criticism  that  necessarily  entered  into  the  reports,  and  the 
absence  of  that  complete  co-operation  between  the  munici- 
pal authorities  and  the  insurance  interests  so  essential  to 
progress  have  been  limiting  influences  upon  the  complete 
usefulness  of  such  inquiries.  Now,  however,  that  co-opera- 
tion is  assured  in  the  nature  of  the  composition  of  the  com- 
mission and  in  the  source  from  which  it  receives  its  author- 
ity and  inspiration,  the  community  can  look  forward  with 
greater  confidence  than  ever  before  to  definite  results  and  to 
an  improvement  in  conditions,  both  with  respect  to  fire- 
fighting  facilities  and  to  legal  measures  of  a  preventive 
character. — Philadelphia  Public  Ledger,  April  26,  1912. 

NOTE. — The  Pennsylvania  State  Building  Code  Commission 
recently  appointed  by  Gov.  Tener,  through  its  chairman,  Mr.  John 
T.  Windrim,  a  prominent  Philadelphia  architect,  has  assured  the 
Philadelphia  Fire  Prevention  Committee  of  its  hearty  co-operation. 


Editorial  from  April,  1912 

NATIONAL   FIRE  PROTECTION   ASSOCIATION 
QUARTERLY 

What  Two  Philadelphia  Members  Did 

One  of  the  most  striking  and  valuable  forms  of  public  service  ever 
rendered  by  members  of  the  Association  is  that  recently  given  to  the 
city  of  Philadelphia  by  two  of  our  Philadelphia  members,  Mr.  Chas.  A. 
Hexamer  and  Mr.  Powell  Evans,  in  co-operation  with  the  local  director 
of  the  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research,  Mr.  Jesse  D.  Burks.  These  gen- 
tlemen accepted  as  a  special  committee  the  responsibilities  placed  upon 
them  by  the  director  of  the  Department  of  Public  Safety  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  preliminary  report  on  fire  protection  and  fire  prevention  for 
the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

One  of  the  commonest,  although  most  deplorable,  facts  which  face 
the  student  of  municipal  problems  is  the  lack  of  mutual  co-operation 
and  understanding  among  the  various  municipal  departments  of  a  great 
city.  It  was  owing  to  such  conditions  in  New  York  city,  where  progress 
was  practically  blocked  through  inability  to  place  responsibility  upon 
any  single  department,  that  the  Bureau  of  Fire  Prevention  was  devised. 
The  report  of  the  committee  above  referred  to  reveals  a  similar  situa- 
tion in  Philadelphia.  It  points  out  the  fact  that  the  city  fire  marshal 
takes  much  too  limited  a  view  of  his  responsibilities,  and  that  many  of 
the  city  ordinances,  for  example  that  regarding  the  storage  of  gasolene, 
are  obsolete  and  require  prompt  revision.  The  report,  although  claim- 
ing to  be  merely  preliminary,  seems  to  us  a  very  thorough  and  com- 
prehensive document.  It  first  outlines  the  agencies  and  what  they  are 
expected  to  do  under  the  present  laws.  It  then  very  carefully  recites 
what  the  agencies  in  question  actually  dp,  and  concludes  with  sugges- 
tions as  to  what  they  might  do.  The  principal  weakness  of  the  Phila- 
delphia situation  as  suggested  in  the  report  lies  in  the  fire  marshal's 
department  and  the  fact  that  no  inspections  of  buildings  are  made 
during  occupancy.  The  report  also  points  out  that  the  water  pressure 
in  Philadelphia  is  insufficient  and  that  the  annual  daily  use  of  water  is 
200  gallons  per  capita — an  astonishingly  wasteful  figure.  The  report 
concludes  with  the  recommendation  that  the  mayor  be  requested  to 
appoint  a  commission  to  ascertain  the  facts  and  to  submit  a  constructive 
program  for  increasing  the  efficiency  of  the  several  public  agencies  con- 
cerned and  for  bringing  about  correlation  between  the  different  agencies 
and  between  them  and  private  agencies  performing  related  functions. 

The  suggestions  of  this  committee,  upon  which  our  members  have 
rendered  such  distinguished  service,  might  well  be  adopted  by  every 
large  city  in  the  Union.  It  is  a  movement  in  the  direction  of  efficiency 
in  the  administration  of  one  of  the  most  vital  functions  of  the  municipal 
government.  No  comprehensive  or  effective  work  can  be  done  in  fire 
prevention  in  any  large  city  until  the  various  departments  are  brought 
into  harmonious  relation. 


57 


PRELIMINARY    REPORT 

on 
FIRE    PREVENTION    AND    PROTECTION 

by 
A  Special  Committee 

Appointed  by  the 

Director  of  the  Department  of  Public  Safety 
Philadelphia,  March  16,  1912 


MR.  GEORGE  D.  PORTER, 

DIRECTOR,  DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  SAFETY, 
CITY  HALL,  PHILADELPHIA. 

Dear  Sir: 

In  accordance  with  your  recent  request,  we  are  submitting 
herewith  the  results  of  a  brief  inquiry,  showing  (i)  the  gen- 
eral organization  of  the  public  and  private  agencies  directly 
concerned  with  fire  prevention  and  protection;  (2)  the  broad 
lines  of  procedure  followed  by  these  agencies;  (3)  the  more 
obvious  defects  in  organization  and  administrative  methods  of 
the  municipal  agencies;  and  (4)  certain  tentative  proposals 
for  the  correction  of  the  more  serious  defects  so  far  as  this 
can  be  effected  with  the  equipment  and  financial  resources 
already  available. 

There  are  eight  different  divisions  of  the  city  government 
performing  specific  functions  related  to  fire  prevention  and 
protection ;  namely,  the  bureau  of  water,  gas,  building  inspec- 
tion, police,  fire,  boiler  inspection,  the  electrical  bureau,  and 
the  division  of  fire  marshal.  Obviously,  an  effective  program 
of  fire  prevention  and  protection  requires  that  these  eight 
agencies  work  in  complete  harmony;  each  reinforcing  and 
supplementing  the  work  of  the  other  in  the  performance  of  its 
special  functions.  Besides  these  municipal  agencies,  there  are 
numerous  private  organizations  equipped  to  render  important 
service  in  a  well  planned  and  efficiently  directed  program. 
Generally  speaking,  no  such  plan  has  been  formulated.  There 
is,  accordingly,  much  overlapping  of  functions,  lack  of  cor- 
relation, and  failure  to  meet  some  of  the  most  urgent  require- 
ments of  a  safe  and  sound  policy. 

53 


Potentially  the  most  important  factor  in  a  program  of  fire 
prevention,  as  distinguished  from  the  control  of  conflagrations, 
is  the  fire  marshal's  office  operating  under  an  excellent  new 
law.  In  this  office  rests  the  power  and  the  responsibility  for 
determining,  by  inspection,  conditions  that  endanger  life  and 
property  by  reason  of  hazardous  occupations,  careless  methods 
in  conducting  such  occupations,  slovenly  housekeeping,  and  in- 
adequate preventive  measures.  The  fire  marshal  is  clothed 
with  adequate  power,  under  state  law,  to  enter  and  inspect  all 
buildings.  He  is  given  authority,  when  a  building  is  shown 
by  inspection  to  be  especially  liable  to  fire,  to  be  so  located  as 
to  endanger  other  buildings,  or  so  occupied  that  fire  would  en- 
danger persons  or  property  therein  to  order  the  correction  of 
the  dangerous  conditions.  Owners  and  occupants  are  required 
by  the  law  to  comply  at  once  with  the  fire  marshal's  orders, 
subject  only  to  appeal  to  a  commission  provided  for  by  law. 

Notwithstanding  these  broad  powers,  the  office  of  fire 
marshal  concerns  itself  almost  exclusively  with  attending  fires 
and  investigating  their  causes,  prosecuting  cases  of  suspected 
arson,  inspecting  the  aisles  and  exits  of  theatres  and  moving 
picture  places,  inspecting  places  containing  explosives  and 
highly  inflammable  materials,  and  investigating  of  matters  re- 
lated to  fire  escapes.  Practically  no  attention  is  given  to  the 
correction  of  housekeeping  and  occupancy  conditions  that  are 
chiefly  responsible  for  an  annual  fire  loss  of  approximately 
$2,500,000  in  Philadelphia. 

The  approximate  average  per  capita  fire  loss  for  Phila- 
delphia of  $1.65  is  not  so  bad  compared  with  other  American 
cities,  but  it  must  be  recalled  that  Philadelphia  has  fire  limits 
almost  coincident  with  the  county  lines  making  very  extensive 
fire  limits,  and  within  the  fire  limits  it  has  a  tremendous  num- 
ber of  buildings  of  virtually  fire  proof  exterior — brick  with 
metal  roof;  the  whole  situation  making  a  low  fire  loss  normal 
as  compared  with  much  more  restricted  fire  loss  of  Boston. 
Compared  with  foreign  city  averages  it  is  obvious  at  once  how 
much  can  be  saved  in  Philadelphia.  The  following  table  based 
upon  the  latest  available  data,  gathered  up  to  1907,  shows  the 
average  annual  per  capita  fire  loss  for  the  United  States  at 
large,  and  the  principal  cities  of  United  States  and  Europe: 


59 


AVERAGE    PER    CAPITA 
CITY  FIRE    LOSS  (ANNUAL) 

United  States $3«oo 

Cleveland  1.18 

Washington  1.19 

Baltimore 1.29 

Chicago 1.43 

Philadelphia  1.65* 

New  York 2.60 

Boston    5.15 

Berlin    25 

Bremen 38 

Paris .47 

London 50 

St.  Petersburg 1.42 

The  fire  marshal's  office  may  therefore  be  regarded  as  the 
-weakest  link  in  the  chain  of  official  agencies  concerned  with 
fire  prevention  and  protection.  The  organization  and  admin- 
istrative methods  of  the  office  are  such  that  the  important 
functions  for  which  it  is  constituted  cannot  be  performed  with 
reasonable  economy  and  efficiency. 

The  fire  marshal  has  given  an  unduly  narrow  and  per- 
functory interpretation  of  his  legal  powers  and  duties.  He 
"has  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  law  of  June  8,  1911,  gives 
him  no  authority  over  places  used  for  public  gatherings,  ex- 
cept to  inspect  aisles  and  exits;  that  the  clause  "dangerous 
and  faulty  conditions"  refers  to  construction  only,  and  not  to 
conditions  of  occupancy  and  housekeeping;  and  that  a  city 
ordinance  must  be  passed  before  the  law  becomes  effective. 

One  of  the  four  assistant  fire  marshals  has  given  his  time 
exclusively  to  the  supervision  of  ten  fire  escape  inspectors, 
leaving  only  three  officers  to  perform  the  functions  assigned 
to  assistant  fire  marshals.  The  records  of  inspections  made 
by  the  ten  fire  escape  inspectors  show  that  these  inspections 
have  not  been  made  with  desirable  dispatch;  the  average  rate 
of  inspection  for  eight  months  having  been  five  to  seven  per 
•day. 

The  current  and  summary  records  of  work  done  and  re- 
-sults  accomplished  are  incomplete,  inadequate,  and  not  adapted 
to  the  purposes  of  administrative  control.  Little  use  is  appa- 
rently made  even  of  such  records  as  are  maintained  to  improve 
the  quality  of  service  rendered  by  individual  inspectors  or  by 
the  organization  as  a  whole,  to  bring  out  the  chief  problems 
with  which  the  office  is  concerned,  or  to  point  the  way  toward 
more  effective  control  of  fire  waste. 


*The  total  fire  loss  for  Philadelphia  for  1911  was  $2,100,000  making 
iper  capita  loss  of  $1.45. 

60 


The  preliminary  report  now  submitted  is  not  assumed  to 
cover  the  field  in  a  complete  or  systematic  manner.  It  is  in- 
tended rather  to  demonstrate  the  need  for  a  more  comprehen- 
sive and  thorough  investigation  of  the  problems  of  fire  pre- 
vention and  protection  with  a  view  to  the  formulation  ~of  a 
constructive  plan  for  a  more  effective  organization  of  the  sev- 
eral public  agencies  concerned  and  for  better  working  relations 
between  these  agencies — the  Fire  Underwriters'  Association, 
the  Fire  Insurance  Patrol,  and  other  private  organizations  en- 
gaged in  similar  activities. 

In  order  that  such  a  program  may  be  formulated  and  the 
interest  of  the  entire  community  enlisted  in  its  promotion,  we 
would  respectfully  suggest  that  you  request  the  Mayor  to  au- 
thorize immediately  a  complete  reorganization  of  the  fire  mar- 
shal's office  and  to  appoint  a  commission  of  nine  citizens  of 
proper  qualifications  to  ascertain  the  necessary  facts  and,  on 
the  basis  of  its  findings,  to  formulate  a  program  adequate  to 
meet  the  needs  of  the  community,  and  to  cooperate  with  you 
in  the  reorganization  of  the  fire  marshal's  office. 

We  would  respectfully  urge  that  you  have  printed  for 
general  circulation  the  city  fire  marshal  act  of  Philadelphia, 
together  with  a  completely  explanatory  opinion  of  the  city 
solicitor  sustaining  the  same  along  the  lines  of  the  attached 
circular  from  Fire  Commissioner  Johnson  of  New  York  City 
which  explains  the  Hoey  Fire  Prevention  Law,  and  gives  the 
opinion  of  the  city  solicitor  respecting  its  salient  features. 

Very  truly  yours, 

CHARLES  A.  HEXAMER 
Sec.,  Phila,  Fire  Underwriters'  Association 
[Past  Pres.,  National  Fire  Protection  Ass'n] 

JESSE  D.  BURKS 

Director,    Bureau    of    Municipal    Research 
[Phila.] 

POWELL  EVANS 

Chairman,  Fire  Prevention  Committees: 
Bureau  of  Municipal  Research; 
National  Hardware  Association; 
Nafl  Ass'n  Sheet  Metal  Contractors; 
[Formerly,  Natl.  Ass'n  of  Creditmen; 
Nafl  Ass'n  of  Manufactures] 


61 


INTERIM    REPORT 

ON 

FIRE  PROTECTION  AND  PREVENTION   IN 
PHILADELPHIA 

I.    FUNCTIONS  AND  ORGANIZATION 

1.  THE   AGENCIES    HAVING  TO    DO   WITH    FIRE 

PROTECTION  AND  PREVENTION  IN  PHILA- 
DELPHIA ARE  CHARGED  WITH  THE  PER- 
FORMANCE OF  THE  FOLLOWING  FUNC- 
TIONS : 

A.  SUPERVISION  OF  CONSTRUCTION  AND  ALTERATIONS  OF  ALL 

BUILDINGS  IN  THE  CITY,  INCLUDING  HEATING  APPA- 
RATUS AND  APPLIANCES  FOR  LIGHTING;  AND  THE 
MAINTENANCE  OF  RECORDS  OF  WORK  DONE  AND  RE- 
SULTS ACCOMPLISHED. 

B.  INSPECTION  OF  BUILDINGS  AND  THEIR  CONTENTS,  DURING 

OCCUPANCY  WITH  REFERENCE  TO  CLEANLINESS  AND 
HOUSEKEEPING  AND  SPECIAL  FIRE  HAZARDS;  AND  THE 
KEEPING  OF  ADEQUATE  INSPECTION  RECORDS,  TO- 
GETHER WITH  EFFECTIVE  ENFORCEMENT  OF  COMPLI- 
ANCE WITH  ORDERS  TO  REMEDY  EXISTING  CONDITIONS. 

c.  THE  EXTINGUISHING  OF  FIRES  IN  ORDER  TO  PREVENT  so 
FAR  AS  POSSIBLE  THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  LIFE  AND  PROP- 
ERTY. 

D.  INVESTIGATION  OF  THE  CAUSES  OF  FIRES  WITH  A  VIEW 
TO  UTILIZING  THE  INFORMATION  SECURED  FOR  THE 
PREVENTION  OF  FUTURE  FIRES  AND  THE  PROSECUTION 
OF  PERSONS  GUILTY  OF  ARSON. 

2.  THE     ORGANIZATION     PROVIDED     FOR     PER- 

FORMING THESE  FUNCTIONS  AND  THE 
DISTRIBUTION  OF  FUNCTIONS  ARE  AS 
FOLLOWS : 

A.     DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  WORKS. 

1.  Bureau  of  Water. 

a.  Inspection  service :     10  hydrant  inspectors  who  examine 

each  low  pressure  hydrant  semi-annually. 

b.  Two  high  pressure  fire  pumping  stations  used  only  for 

fire  service. 

2.  Bureau  of  Gas. 

a.  Responsible  for  the  enforcement  of  the  lease  with  the 
United  Gas  Improvement  Co.,  as  to  the  inspection  of 
gas'  piping. 

62 


B.    DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  SAFETY. 

j.     Bureau  of  Building  Inspection. 

a.  Chief,  deputy  chief,  engineer  of  construction,  inspector  of 
reinforced  concrete,  24  inspectors,  inspector  engineer, 
assistant  inspector  engineer,  4  clerks,  2  stenographers, 
and  one  messenger. 

2.  Bureau  of  Police. 

a.  Superintendent  with  office  staff  of  39,  in  charge  of  10  cap- 

tains, 48  lieutenants,  335  sergeants  and  about  3400 
patrolmen  and  48  stations. 

b.  Three  Police  and  Fire  Boats,  with  u  pilots,  9  engineers, 

10  firemen,  and  3  deck  laborers. 

3.  DIVISION  OF  FIRE  MARSHAL, 
j.     Fire  Marshal;  salary  $2500. 

a.  Responsible  to  the  Director  of  Public  Safety. 

b.  Inspects  moving  picture  places  and  theatres,  with  Chief 

of  Bureau  of  Fire  and  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Building  In- 
spection, before  occupancy,  and  certifies  his  approval 
before  license  may  be  issued. 

c.  With  Chief  of  Electrical  Bureau,  forms  Board  of  Exam- 

iners for  moving  picture  operators. 

d.  Attends  to  "all  complaints  regarding  dangerous  conditions 

in  case  of  fire"  (e.  g.,  defective  flues,  and  shaky  walls)  ; 
in  charge  of  "inspection  of  all  buildings  to  see  that 
they  are  clear  of  all  combustible  material." 
NOTE  i. — The  present  regulations  for  the  storage  of  gasoline 
are  utterly  obsolete  and  inadequate  for  meeting  modern  city  con- 
ditions.    They   were   adopted  before   gasoline   was   used   in   such 
volume,  especially  for  motor  cars;  and  if  enforced  as  now  exist- 
ing make  the  storage  of  gasoline,  in  amounts  which  are  safe  and 
necessary,  virtually  impossible;  or  if  not  enforced  make  the  stor- 
ing of  gasoline  in  necessary  quantities  virtually  criminal.    The  law 
should  be  immediately  studied,  redrafted,  re-enacted,  and  enforced 
with  proper  inspection. 

e.  In  charge  of  inspection  of  places  where  explosives,  gaso- 

lene and  volatile  oils,  and  combustibles  are  stored.  On 
his  approval  depends  the  issuance  of  licenses  for  such 
storage,  good  for  one  year. 

/.  In  charge  of  the  investigation  and  determination  of  the 
cause  of  each  fire ;  with  the  power  to  summon  any  per- 
son who  is  supposed  to  have  knowledge,  to  take  his 
statement  under  oath,  and  (if  the  case  is  suspicious) 
to  transmit  the  evidence  to  the  District  Attorney  for 
arrest  and  prosecution. 
NOTE  2. — The  question  of  fire  escapes  is  a  vital  one  to-day, 

particularly   inasmuch  as   so  many  buildings  are  in  character  of 

63 


such  construction  as  to  make  possible  a  dangerous  fire.  The 
present  Philadelphia  ordinance  on  fire  escapes  is  far  below  the 
standard  in  its  requirements  as  to  character  of  the  escape,  size, 
location  of  entrance,  etc.  Careful  studies  of  the  character  of  fire 
escape  provisions  have  been  made  by  such  engineers  as  Mr.  Porter, 
of  New  York,  and  the  facts  are  already  definitely  known.  The 
Philadelphia  fire  escape  ordinance  should  be  carefully  studied, 
redrafted,  and  re-enacted  as  soon  as  possible. 

g.     In  charge  of  the  inspection  of  fire  escapes;  issues  an  in- 
spection certificate  good  for  one  year. 

2.     Assistant  Fire  Marshal,  salary  $2000. 
a.     Detailed  to  the  office  to  handle  all  matters  relating  to  fire 
escape  inspection. 

5.     Clerk;  salary 

a.    Handles  reports  of  fire  escape  inspectors  and  makes  out 
requests  for  compliance  with  the  fire  escape  law. 

NOTE  3. — With  respect  to  fire  escape  inspectors,  it  may  be 
questioned  whether  this  separation  of  duties  should  not  now  be 
done  away  with  and  all  inspectors  under  the  fire  marshal  given 
the  full  range  of  duties,  working  within  prescribed  areas,  with 
regular  rotation  of  assignments  to  these  areas. 

4.  10  Fire  Escape  Inspectors;  salary  $1200  each. 

a.  Each  is  assigned  to  one  of  ten  districts  and  is  concerned 

only  with  his  district. 

b.  Report  daily  at  9  a.  m.  at  the  Fire  Marshal's  office  and 

submit  written  reports  of  inspections. 

c.  Inspect  quarterly  the  fire  escapes  in  all  buildings  to  see 

that  exits  are  kept  clean  and  that  fire  escapes  are  free 
from  obstructions. 

d.  Inspect  other  buildings  in  their  territory  to  find  where  fire 

escapes  are  needed. 

e.  Investigate  all  complaints  and  serve  written  request  for 

compliance  in  specific  details  when  fire  escapes  are  de- 
fective or  exits  are  obstructed. 

f.  Forward  the  case  to  the  City  Solicitor  for  his  action,  if  the 

owner,   agent,   or   occupant   does   not   comply   with   a 
written  notice. 

g.  In  some  cases  report  rubbish  or  inflammable  matter  in 

cellars  or  garrets. 

5.  Three  assistant  Fire  Marshals;  salary — one  $2000,   two 

$1200  each. 

a.  Each  is  assigned  to  one  of  3  districts,  and  is  concerned 

only  with  his  district. 

b.  Report  daily  at  9  a.  m.  at  the  Fire  Marshal's  office,  the 

results  of  all  investigations  of  fires  and  other  matters. 


c.  Investigate  and  determine  the  cause  of  each  fire  in  the 

respective  districts  not  later  than  the  day  after  the 
occurrence  of  the  fire. 

d.  Required  to  attend  each  fire  in  the  several  districts  and  to 

take  charge  of  the  police  in  keeping  clear  an  area  suffi- 
cient to  enable  the  firemen  to  work  advantageously. 

e.  Inspect  moving  picture  shows  and  theatres  in  the  respec- 

tive districts,  as  to  exits,  aisles,  and  fire  buckets,  about 
every  two  months. 

/.  Inspect  places  where  explosives,  gasolene,  inflammable 
oils,  and  combustibles  are  refined,  used,  stored  or  sold, 
on  application  for  a  license;  also  inspect  places  sus- 
pected of  containing  such  materials. 

g.  Investigate  complaints  of  dangerous  conditions  as  regards 
fire,  to  see  that  such  places  are  clear  of  combustible 
material. 

6.     Clerk;  salary  $1200. 

a.  Handles  correspondence. 

b.  Keeps  a  record  of  applications  for  license  for  the  storage 

of  explosives  or  combustibles. 

c.  Collects  information  and  keeps  a  record  of  the  investiga- 

tion of  the  causes  of  fires. 

4.    Electrical  Bureau. 

a.  One  chief;  an  office  staff  of  7;  an  inspection  staff  of  13; 

31  operators  and  a  battery  assigned  to  the  municipal 
telephone,  police  and  fire  alarm  service;  and  (for  the 
construction  and  maintenance  of  the  police  and  fire 
alarm  system,  street  lights,  overhead  wires  and  under- 
ground conduits)  a  manager,  an  assistant  manager,  3 
inspectors,  4  plumbers,  one  draftsman,  22  linemen  and 
wiremen,  one  foreman,  129  laborers,  2  bricklayers,  and 
6  apprentices. 

b.  Chief  and  Fire  Marshal  examine  and  license  moving  pic- 

ture operators. 

c.  Employees  inspect  all  outside  wiring  and  electric  signs. 

d.  Employees  inspect  electric  wiring  in  municipal  buildings, 

theatres,  and  moving  picture  shows  during  the  con- 
struction period,  and  during  occupancy. 

e.  Fire  alarm  operators  are  in  3  shifts  of  3  men  each. 
(/)     Test  alarm  circuits  6  times  daily. 

(2)     Test  daily  the  telephone  circuits  for  high  pressure  fire 
service. 

65 


(j)  Make  electrical  tests  for  grounds  on  outside  circuits 
every  hour  and  a  half ;  make  tests  of  insulation  of  wires 
and  battery  tests  daily. 

/.  One  inspector  tests  fire  alarm  boxes,  theatre  and  auxiliary 
boxes  monthly;  others  3  times  a  year. 

g.     Records  are  kept  of  all  tests  and  troubles. 

5.  Bureau  of  Boiler  Inspection. 

A  chief  inspector,  6  assistants,  2  smoke  inspectors, 
3  clerks,  one  messenger,  one  driver  and  one  stenog- 
rapher. 

6.  Bureau  of  Fire. 

a.  Chief;  salary  $4500. 

Controls  all  supplies,  apparatus  and  equipment  (ex- 
cept buildings)  maintains  a  shop  for  repair  of  apparatus; 
locates  fire  alarm  boxes ;  assigns  companies  to  fires ;  meets 
the  district  engineers  3  times  a  week  to  discuss  methods 
of  fighting  fires. 

b.  Assistant  Chief;  salary  $3000.     Assists  the  Chief  in  the 

performance  of  his  duties. 

c.  Secretary;  salary  $1600. 

Conducts  correspondence;  maintains  records. 

d.  Store-house  clerk;  salary  $1200. 

Directs  the  distribution  of  supplies  for  engine  and 
ladder  houses. 

e.  2  drivers  of  supply  wagons;  salary  $1000  each. 

Drive  wagons  for  transportation  of  supplies  to 
stations. 

/.     3  telephone  operators;  salary  $1000. 

Each  is  on  an  8  hour  shift  at  the  Race  Street  head- 
quarters; and  notifies  the  Electrical  Bureau  what  compa- 
nies to  send  to  fires. 
g.     Messenger;  salary  $800. 
h.     Inspector;  salary  $130x3. 

Supervises  building  repairs ;  weighs  coal. 
i.     Fire  Inspector;  salary  $4500. 

Ex-chief  retired  on  a  pension;  receives  visitors  and 
acts  as  an  advisory  engineer  to  the  chief. 
j.     ii  District  Engineers;  salary  $2000  each. 

Each  is  assigned  to  a  territory  which  overlaps  others 
more  or  less;  is  in  immediate  charge  of  the  uniformed 
force  at  the  fire  stations  in  his  territory;  3  engineers 
form  a  court  of  trial,  meeting  Mondays,  to  consider  cases 
of  violation  of  rules. 

66 


k.     78  Foremen;  salary  $1400  each; 

each  is  the  responsible  head  of  a  company  and  station; 
responsible  for  maintaining  apparatus,  horses,  and  other 
property  in  good  condition;  required  to  keep  6  men 
always  on  duty. 

/.     77  Assistant  Foremen;  salary  $1250  each. 

m.  59  engineers  (operating  engineers);  salary  $1200  each; 
each  operates  a  fire  engine  and  is  responsible  for  keep- 
ing the  engine  in  good  condition;  must  maintain  10 
pounds  of  steam  at  all  times;  instructs  firemen  as  to 
duties. 

n.     6 1  Firemen  (stokers)  ;  salary  $1100.  each; 

rides  on  engine;  stokes  the  fire;  responsible  for  the 
proper  supply  of  fuel. 

o.     95  Drivers;  salary  $1100.  each; 

responsible  for  the  care,  condition  and  driving  of  the 
horses. 

p.     18  Tillermen;  salary  $1200.  each. 

q.     892  Horsemen  and  Laddermen;  salary  schedule. 

r.     Veterinary  Surgeon;  salary  $2000. 

s.     Assistant  Veterinary  Surgeon ;  salary  $1200. 

t.     Repair  Shop. 

Superintendent,  Assistant  Superintendent,  2  plumbers, 
one  blacksmith;  6  helpers;  9  machinists;  one  boiler 
maker,  5  wheelwrights,  4  carpenters,  one  patternmaker, 
one  watchman. 

c.     PHILADELPHIA  FIRE  UNDERWRITERS'  ASSOCIATION. 

Supported  by  144  insurance  companies;  (employs  a 
staff  of  90  people)  issues  847  brokers'  certificates; 
makes  surveys  for  the  purpose  of  rating  risks ;  inspects 
all  inside  electric  wiring  and  sprinkler  systems  in  the 
City.  Two  men  are  assigned  to  block  inspection  of 
conditions  affecting  fire  hazards.  Reductions  in  fire 
hazards  are  encouraged  by  the  offering  of  a  permanent 
reduction  in  the  insurance  rate  for  specified  improve- 
ments. 

4.     FIRE  INSURANCE  PATROL. 

Organized  under  State  laws  by  insurance  companies  for 
the  purpose  of  saving  life  and  property  at  fires. 

j.  Consists  of  three  groups  or  companies  covering  the  dis- 
trict between  South  and  Vine  Streets;  Broad  St.  and 
the  Delaware  River;  also  along  Chestnut  St.  from 
Broad  St.  to  i8th  St. 

67 


2.     Two  men  make  block  inspections  in  this  territory. 

j.  Receives  a  list  of  fires  and  causes  from  the  Fire  Marshal ; 
ascertains  the  amount  of  the  loss  and  insurance  from 
the  various  insurance  companies ;  tabulates  and  pub- 
lishes this  information  in  an  annual  report. 

II.     METHODS  AND  PROCEDURE. 
1.     SUPERVISION  OF  CONSTRUCTION. 

NOTE  4. — The  building  laws  of  Philadelphia  are  not  bad  com- 
pared with  many  other  American  cities,  yet  they  are  by  no  means 
as  good  as  reasonably  possible,  and  the  city  fire  marshal  in  con- 
nection with  the  bureau  of  building  inspection  should  in  co-opera- 
tion with  the  state  fire  marshal  aim  to  bring  about  the  revision  of 
the  building  code  and  the  preparation  of  a  proper  building  ordi- 
nance for  this  city. 

A.  NEW  CONSTRUCTION  AND  ALTERATIONS. 

1.  Bureau  of  Building  Inspection. 

a.  Work  begins  on  receipt  of  an  application  to  the  Bureau 

for  a  permit  for  new  construction  or  for  changes  in  old 
buildings. 

b.  Bureau  may  order  changes  in  the  plans  and  specifications 

which  usually  accompany  the  application. 

c.  Inspectors  examine  the  building  as  often  as  practicable  and 

make  written  reports  to  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau. 

d.  Penalties  are  fixed  for  non-compliance  with  the  building 

laws  or  for  beginning  construction  or  alterations  before 
issuance  of  the  permit. 

e.  Testing  of  building  materials  is  conducted  by  the  Bureau 

of  Surveys  on  request  from  the  Bureau  of  Building 
Inspection. 

2.  Bureau  of  Police. 

a.  The  lieutenant  of  each  police  station  reports  weekly  to  the 
superintendent  of  police  any  new  construction  or  alter- 
ations to  old  buildings  in  his  district.  Usually,  where 
construction  work  is  observed  to  be  in  progress,  a  pa- 
trolman asks  to  see  the  permit  and  in  absence  of  a  per- 
mit advises  the  owner  or  occupant  to  obtain  one  before 
proceeding  further.  This  information  goes  to  the  Bu- 
reau of  Building  Inspection. 

B.  GAS  PIPING. 

i.    Bureau  of  Gas. 

has  a  contract  whereby  the  United  Gas  Improvement 
Co.  inspects  all  gas  piping. 

68 


c.     ELECTRIC  WIRING  AND  ELECTRIC  SIGNS. 

1.  Philadelphia  Fire  Underwriters'  Association. 

a.  Issues   certificate   of   inspection   of   inside   wiring  before 

electric   lighting   company   consent   to    furnish   electric 
current. 

b.  National  Electrical  Code  is  the  standard. 

2.  Electrical  Bureau. 

a.  Inspects  inside  electrical  wiring  only  in  municipal  build- 

ings, theatres,  and  moving  picture  shows. 

b.  Inspects  all  outside  wiring  and  electric  signs. 

c.  Chief  issues  permit  for  the  erection  and  maintenance  of  an 

electric  sign. 

d.  Chief  has  control  of  the  design,  construction,  and  manner 

of  erection  of  electric  signs. 

e.  A  permit  or  "Certificate  of  Inspection"  for  an  electric  sign 

issued  by  the  chief 

is  required  before  electric  current  may  be  supplied. 

D.  FIRE  ESCAPES. 

i.     Bureau  of  Building  Inspection. 

a.  In  the  construction  stage  fire  escapes  are  regarded  as  new 
construction  or  alterations ;  hence  the  work  of  inspec- 
tion begins  on  receipt  of  an  application  for  a  permit. 

E.  THEATRES. 

1.  Mayor. 

a.  Issues  a  license  before  occupancy  after  receiving  a  cer- 
tificate of  approval  signed  by  both  the  Bureau  of  Build- 
ing Inspection  and  the  Bureau  of  Fire.  By  custom,  the 
Fire  Marshal  is  also  expected  to  inspect  and  certify  ap- 
proval before  issuance  of  license. 

2.  Bureau  of  Building  Inspection. 

Sees  that  special  requirements  are  followed  in  build- 
ing theatres  (legislative  acts). 

Inspects  plans  and  specifications;  issues  the  permits; 
and  examines  the  building  frequently  until  completion 
with  special  reference  to  the  requirements  of  State  laws 
governing  the  construction  of  theatres. 

5.     Bureau  of  Fire  must  be  satisfied. 

a.  As  to  saturation  of  scenery  and  woodwork  about  the  stage 

with  non-combustible  materials. 

b.  As  to  installation  of  an  automatic  sprinkler  system  with 

fusible  plugs. 

69 


c.  As  to  suitable  appliances  for  interior  lighting. 

d.  As  to  the  arrangements  for  stage  lighting. 

e.  As  to  the  installation  of  standpipes,  gas,   electric  wires, 

hose,  footlights  and  all  apparatus  for  extinguishing  fire 
or  guarding  against  the  same. 

F.     MOVING  PICTURE  SHOWS. 

/.     Director  of  Public  Safety. 

a.  Issues  license  before  occupancy  after  he  has  received  a 
certificate  of  approval  signed  by  the  Chief  of  Building 
Inspection,  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Fire,  and  the  Fire 
Marshal. 

2.     Chief  of  Electrical  Bureau. 

a.  Issues  certificate  of  approval  of  the  electric  wiring,  before 
electric  current  may  be  used. 

2.     INSPECTION  DURING  OCCUPANCY. 

A.  GENERAL  INSPECTION  OF  BUILDINGS  AND  CONTENTS. 

1.  Philadelphia  Fire   Underwriters'  Association. 

a.  Makes  inspection  only  for  issuance  of  insurance. 

b.  Inspections  are  not  regularly  made,  usually  on  change  of 

occupancy ;  some  places  have  not  been  inspected  for  ten 
years. 

2.  Fire  Insurance  Patrol. 

a.  Two  men  assigned  to  block  inspections. 

b.  Buildings,  assigned  to  the  block  inspectors,  are  examined 

once  a  year,  some  places,  three,  four,  five  or  six  times. 

c.  Inspections  are  made  in  a  portion  of  the  territory  between 

South  and  Vine  Streets ;  Broad  Street  and  the  Delaware 
River;  and  along  Chestnut  Street  from  Broad  to  i8th 
Street. 

5.     Bureau  of  Police — Uniformed  Force, 
a.     Patrolmen  are  required  to  be  alert  to  prevent  incipient 
fires. 

4.    Division  of  Fire  Marshal. 

a.  With  the  exception  of  moving  picture  shows  and  theatres, 

inspects  buildings  only  as  regards  aisles  and  exits. 

b.  Some  fire  escapes  inspectors   report  rubbish  and  inflam- 

mable material  in  cellars  or  garrets. 

B.  GAS  PIPING. 

There  is  no  inspection  after  the  completion  of  a  building, 
except  in  cases  of  repairs. 

70 


c.     ELECTRIC  WIRING  AND  ELECTRIC  SIGNS. 

1.  Philadelphia  Fire  Underwriters'  Association. 

a.  Inside  wiring  is  inspected  as  opportunity  permits. 

b.  Inspections  are  not  at  regular  intervals,  usually  on  change 

of  occupancy. 

2.  Electrical  Bureau. 

a.  Makes    frequent    tests    and    when    necessary    repairs   the 

municipal  wires,  the  fire  alarm  systems  and  the  police 

patrol  telephone  service. 
(/)     Tests  fire  alarm  boxes  3  times  a  year. 
(2)     Tests  fire  alarm  circuits  6  times  daily  by  sending  out 

signals, 
(j)     Tests  the  circuits  of  the  telephone  system  for  the  high 

pressure  fire  service,  twice  daily. 
(4)     Keeps  records  of  tests. 

b.  Operates  municipal  power  plants. 

c.  The  results  of  the  inspection  of  electric  wiring  in  moving 

picture  shows  must  be  satisfactory  before  the  annual 
license  may  be  renewed. 

d.  Inspects  electric  wiring  in  theatres  weekly. 

e.  There  is  no  inspection  of  electric  signs  after  the  issuance 

of  the  permit. 

D.     FIRE  ESCAPES. 

1.  Bureau  of  Police — Uniformed  Force. 

a.  Reports  of  Fire  Marshal  defective  fire  escapes,  obstruc- 
tions to  fire  escapes  and  buildings  that  need  fire  escapes. 
This  rule  is  rarely  observed. 

2.  Division  of  Fire  Marshal. 

NOTE  5. — The  most  important  function  of  the  fire  marshal  is 
to  inspect  the  use  of  buildings  throughout  the  city,  so  that  not 
only  their  physical  condition  may  be  brought  up  to  a  minimum 
standard  of  excellence  with  respect  to  fire  prevention  and  protec- 
tion, but  that  the  voidable  risks  of  occupancy  can  be  reduced  to 
a  reasonable  minimum;  and  that  the  housekeeping  of  the  building 
with  respect  to  general  cleanliness  or  orderliness  of  occupancy 
can  be  kept  to  a  reasonable  minimum  of  excellence. 

To  effectively  accomplish  this  end,  the  city  must  be  divided 
into  inspection  areas,  each  area  to  be  under  a  separate  inspector; 
the  inspectors  regularly  rotating  as  do  the  Factory  Mutual  Insur- 
ance Company  inspectors,  say,  each  six  months.  A  list  of  such 
buildings  with  data  must  then  be  prepared  in  duplicate,  by  a  card 
system;  each  inspection  center  to  have  one  copy,  the  other  copy 
to  go  to  City  Hall.  A  suggested  delimitation  of  such  areas  is 
made  on  attached  maps,  and  the  buildings  to  be  inspected  within 

71 


such  areas  would  total  approximately  35,000.  The  Fire  Under- 
writers' Bureau  of  Philadelphia  has  during  the  past  fifty  years 
collected  approximately  25,000  physical  surveys  of  buildings  in  the 
congested  areas  of  Philadelphia,  and  they  offer  the  substance  of 
this  data  as  a  basis  for  beginning  the  card  system  for  an  enlarged 
area.  This  detailed  knowledge  and  provision  for  detailed  watch- 
ing of  buildings  so  illustrated  is  a  minimum  requirement  to  con- 
trol fire  danger  in  Philadelphia. 

Another  important  function  of  the  fire  marshal  is  to  use  his 
power  under  the  fire  marshal  law  to  summarily  abolish  obvious 
nuisances  and  danger  with  respect  to  fire  risk.  Fire  Commis- 
sioner Johnson  of  New  York  City,  acting  under  the  Hoey  bill 
which  established  a  Fire  Prevention  Bureau  in  New  York  City, 
the  powers  of  which  were  carefully  investigated  and  defined  by 
the  City  Solicitor  in  a  publicly  distributed  pamphlet  (the  powers 
of  which  are  no  larger  than  those  of  the  Philadelphia's  Fire 
Marshal  bill)  has  summarily  notified  the  occupants  of  35,000 
buildings  that  smoking  cannot  be  permitted  in  these  buildings. 
Under  date  of  February  2,  1912,  he  writes  as  follows: 

"It  may  not  appear  on  the  face  of  it,  where  the  commis- 
sioner gets  his  authority  for  criminal  prosecution  where  smok- 
ing is  carried  on  in  factories  or  manufacturing  places  where 
fire  might  result  therefrom.  The  operation  of  the  law  is  this : 

First. — A  nuisance  is  any  condition  that  creates  a  hazard 
or  danger  to  others. 

Second. — The  Fire  Prevention  Law  places  the  duty  on 
the  commissioner  to  remove  all  fire  hazards. 

Third. — By  a  provision  of  law,  a  violation  of  any  order 
of  the  Fire  Commissioner  is  a  misdemeanor,  therefore,  when 
he  orders  that  no  smoking  shall  be  allowed  in  buildings  where 
same  would  be  dangerous,  a  violation  of  that  order  becomes 
a  misdemeanor  and  is  punishable  by  $500.00  fine  or  a  year's 
imprisonment,  or  both." 

Respectfully, 

WILLIAM  G.  GUERIN 
Acting  Chief,  Bureau  of  Fire  Prevention 

The  above  action  is  in  line  with  the  genesis  of  the  present 
law  on  the  subject  in  France.  The  Code  Napoleon,  more  than  a 
century  old,  sets  forth  the  following  sections: 

Article  1382:  Every  person  is  responsible  and  liable  for 
any  acts  of  his  by  which  any  other  person  has  or  may  have 
sustained  any  loss,  damage  or  injury. 

Article  1383 :  Every  person  is  responsible  for  any  loss, 
damage,  or  injury  caused  by  his  own  act,  carelessness  or 
negligence. 

The  French  courts  have  decided  that  under  these  general 
enactments  there  is  definite  responsibility  upon  every  man  for  fire 
damage  to  his  neighbor.  There  is  no  question,  therefore,  but  that 
the  city  fire  marshal  of  Philadelphia  can  stop  smoking  in  build- 

72 


ings  that  he  considers  dangerous;  can  stop  the  use  of  parlor  self- 
igniting  matches  in  similar  buildings;  can  stop  the  accumulation 
of  refuse,  packing,  greasy  rags,  dirt  and  dust  in  such  buildings; 
and  can  generally,  in  a  retroactive  way,  reasonably  force  the 
clean-up  of  general  physical  conditions  in  buildings,  including  fire 
escapes. 

Fire  Commissioner  Johnson,  in  New  York  City,  has  also 
recently  sent  self-propelled  fire  engines  clanging  up  and  down 
the  streets  along  the  east  side,  covered  with  large  printed  notices, 
calling  attention  to  these  dangerous  housekeeping  conditions  and 
demanding  that  property  owners  abate  these  fire-danger  nuisances. 
In  this  connection  the  city  fire  marshal  should  take  measures  to 
invite  information  from  all  voluntary  sources  as  to  bad  fire  condi- 
tions so  that  he  will  have  knowledge  supplementary  to  that  given 
by  his  own  inspectors  on  which  to  base  an  effective  clean-up  of  all 
buildings  in  the  city. 

a.  An   inspector  makes  block   to  block   examination  of  the 

buildings  in  his  territory  as  to  the  condition  of  exits, 
and  fire  escapes  and  all  fire  escapes  in  his  territory  are 
examined  quarterly. 

b.  The  inspector  reports  daily  in  writing  the  results  of  the 

previous  day's  work,  and  all  places  where  fire  escapes 
are  needed. 

c.  When  a  building  does  not  comply  with  the  law,  the  in- 

spector delivers  to  the  owner  or  occupant,  a  written 
request  for  compliance,  specifying  details. 

d.  On  failure  to  comply  with  such  a  written  notice,  within 

90  days,  the  case  is  referred  to  the  City  Solicitor. 

e.  Fire  Marshal  issues  inspection  certificates  good  for  one 

year. 

E.  THEATRES. 

1.  Division  of  Fire  Marshal. 

a.  Each  of  three  Assistant  Marshals  inspects  about  every  two 
months  the  theatres  in  his  district  as  to  aisles,  exits 
and  buckets. 

2.  Bureau  of  Fire. 

a.  District  Engineer  inspects  monthly  all  theatres  in  his  dis- 

trict. 

b.  A  fireman  is  assigned  to  every  performance  to  inspect  the 

entire  building  before  and  after  the  performance  to 
examine  fire  appliances;  and  to  prevent  smoking. 

F.  MOVING  PICTURE  SHOWS. 
/.     Fire  Marshal. 

a.  Each  of  three  assistant  marshals  inspect  about  every  two 
months  the  moving  picture  shows  in  his  district  as 
regards  aisles,  exits,  fire -buckets. 

73 


b.  Has  power  to  close  up  any  place  shown  by  inspection  to 
violate  legal  requirements. 

2.  Electrical  Bureau. 

a.  A  Board  of  Examiners  consisting  of  the  Chief  of  Elec- 
trical Bureau  and  the  Fire  Marshal  examines  and  li- 
censes moving  picture  operators. 

G.     BOILERS  AND  STEAM  ENGINES. 
i.    Bureau  of  Boiler  Inspection. 

a.  Makes  an  annual  examination  prior  to  the  issuance  of  a 

certificates  good  for  one  year. 

b.  Examines   and   licenses   operating   engineers,   and   issues 

certificates  good  for  one  year. 

H.     STORAGE  OF  EXPLOSIVES  AND  COMBUSTIBLES. 
7.     Division  of  Fire  Marshal. 

a.  Makes   inspections   as   a   result   of  an   application   for  a 

license;  suspected  places  are  often  inspected  also. 

b.  Is  required  to  inspect  licensed  places  annually. 

c.  Has  power  to  close  up  any  place  found  to  violate  legal 

provisions. 

3.  EXTINGUISHING  OF  FIRES. 

A.  SUPPLY  OF  WATER. 
i.    Bureau  of  Water. 

a.  Inspects  low  pressure  hydrants  semi-annually. 

b.  On  receipt  of  first  alarm  in  the  district  covered  the  pumps 

of  the  high  pressure  fire  system  are  started  and  pres- 
sure is  maintained  at  100  pounds,  to  be  increased  to 
300  pounds  when  demand  is  made  on  the  system. 

c.  The  high  pressure  fire  service  hydrants  are  inspected  and 

ordered  daily  in  winter,  at  other  seasons  weekly. 

B.  TRANSMITTAL  OF  ALARM. 
7.     Electrical  Bureau. 

a.  On  receipt  of  fire  calls  by  telephone,  inquiry  is  made  of 

the  Bureau  of  Fire  as  to  which  Company  to  send. 

b.  On  receipt  of  a  box  alarm,  the  fire  alarm  operator  counts 

the  first  round,  checks  the  circuit  shown  on  the  board 
with  that  given  for  the  box  in  the  record  book,  and  sets 
the  number  on  the  manual  transmitter. 

c.  An  assistant  reads  the  number  from  the  printing  register, 

sees  that  the  box  is  on  the  circuit  indicated  and  calls 
the  number  to  the  operator  as  a  check. 

74 


d.  The  manual  transmitter  is  started  after  the  second  round 

from  the  box  is  completed. 

e.  The  transmission  consists  of  10  preliminary  blows,  then 

the  box  number  repeated  twice,  and  repeated  twice  at 

a  slower  rate. 

/.     Second  alarms  are  given  by  repeating  the  first  alarm. 
g.     Third  and  subsequent  alarms  are  preceded  by  10  blows 

struck  twice   in   addition  to  special   signals    requiring 

from  9  to  1 8  blows. 

2.     Auxiliary  Fire  Alarm  Company. 

a.  Rents   to   patrons   small   boxes   placed   in   various   places 

throughout  a  building  and  connected  to  a  municipal  box 
box  at  the  entrance. 

b.  Inspects    twice    a    month    the    200    buildings    that    are 

equipped. 

j.     Consolidated  Fire  Alarm  Company. 

a.  Transmits  an  alarm  to  fire  alarm  headquarters  from  the 

Company's  central  office  by  a  Morse  key  and  verifies 
same  by  telephone. 

b.  Inspects  300  installations  monthly. 

4.  Central  Station  Watch  Service. 

a.  Has   138  subscribers  and   1484  boxes,  40  closed  circuits 

under  constant  test. 

b.  Sends  alarm  to  fire  alarm  headquarters  from  Company's 

central  office  by  manual  transmitter  and  confirms  by 
telephone. 

5.  American  District  Telegraph  Company. 

a.  Has  36  subscribers,  and  from  6  to  43  boxes  per  subscriber. 

b.  Receives  signals  at  nearest  Postal  Telegraph  office  on  a 

tape  register. 

c.  CONTENDING  WITH  FIRE. 
i.     Bureau  of  Fire. 

a.  10  pounds  pressure  of  steam  is  constantly  maintained  in 

the  engine  at  each  station. 

b.  First  alarm  calls  out  3  to  6  companies. 

c.  Chemical  engine  is  generally  used  first. 

d.  High  pressure  fire  service  is  ready  with  100  pounds  pres- 

sure on  the  first  alarm,  and  is  controlled  by  telephone 
instructions  from  the  engineer  in  charge  at  the  fire. 

e.  Second  alarm  calls  out  7  to  10  companies. 

75 


f.  The  outside  sprinkler  connections  are  demanded  by  insur- 

ance companies  when  systems  are  installed  and  are 
available  to  flood  a  building  with  water  at  the  point 
needed,  but  are  never  used. 

g.  An  extensive  repair  shop  handles  all  repairs  and  manu- 

factures new  apparatus  and  parts,  including  repairs 
for  bureau  of  police  which  are  not  charged  for. 

D.  MAINTENANCE  OF  FIRE  LIMITS. 

1.  Bureau  of  Police — Uniformed  Force. 

a.  Lieutenant  in  the  police  district  takes  all  available  men  to 

keep  clear  an  area  sufficient  that  the  firemen  may  work 
without  obstruction. 

b.  Patrol  wagon  goes  to  fire  and  remains  on  duty  until  all 

fire  apparatus  has  left. 

2.  Division  of  Fire  Marshall, 
a.     In  charge  of  Police. 

E.  SALVAGE. 

/.     Fire  Insurance  Patrol.        , 

a.  Each  company  attends  all  fires  in  its  district  and  protects 

property  and  life. 

b.  Patrol  wagons  are  equipped  with  rubber  blankets,  pails 

and  fire  extinguishers. 

c.  The  Company  protects  contents,  also  roofs  of  buildings 

from  water  damage. 

d.  The  company  takes  charge  of  a  building  after  a  fire,  and 

prevents  damage  by  mopping  up  water  and  pumping 
out  cellars. 

4.     INVESTIGATION  OF  THE  CAUSES  OF  FIRE. 

.    Division  of  Fire  Marshall. 

a.  The   clerk   receives  the  morning  of  each   day   from   the 

Electrical  Bureau,  a  report  of  all  fires  occurring  during 
the  previous  day. 

b.  The  Clerk  partially  fills  out  a  report  sheet  for  each  fire 

and  gives  it  to  the  Assistant  Fire  Marshall,  in  whose 
district  the  fire  occurred. 

c.  The  Assistant  Marshall  investigates  and  determines  the 

cause  of  the  fire  within  a  day  or  two,  taking  testimony 
under  oath  if  necessary. 

d.  The  Assistant  Marshall  records  the  information  he  has 

obtained  on  the  report  sheet,  which  is  returned  to  the 
Clerk. 

76 


e.  The  Clerk  records  in  a  large  book  all  information  in  the 
report  sheet  as  soon  as  returned  by  the  Assistant 
Marshall. 

/.  The  Clerk  then  sends  the  report  sheet  to  the  Fire  Insur- 
ance Patrol  to  obtain  information  as  to  amount  of 
insurance  and  of  loss. 

g.  On  the  return  of  the  sheet  from  the  Fire  Insurance  Patrol 
the  Clerk  enters  on  the  record  book  the  amount  of  in- 
surance and  of  loss  and  files  away  the  report  with 
others. 

/?.  In  a  case  of  incendiarism,  the  Marshall  transmits  his  find- 
ings and  evidence  to  the  District  Attorney  who  insti- 
tutes prosecution. 

2.     Bureau  of  Fire. 

a.  District  engineers  meet  chief  three  times  a  week  to  discuss 
fires  and  obstacles  met  in  fighting  fires. 

j.     Bureau  of  Building  Inspection. 

a.  After  a  fire,  the  inspector  makes  an  examination  of  the 
property,  and  makes  a  record  of  all  walls  or  buildings 
found  unsafe  or  dangerous,  with  the  name  of  the  owner 
or  agent  and  the  location  of  the  danger. 

,/.  Philadelphia  Fire  Underwriters'  Association, 

a.  Make  investigation  for  insurance  records. 

5.  Fire  Insurance  Patrol. 

a.  Receives  from  the  Fire  Marshall  a  record  sheet  for  each 

fire  showing  the  cause. 

b.  Obtains  the  amount  of  insurance  and  of  loss  from  the 

various  insurance  companies  a*nd  places  this  information 
on  the  record  sheet  and  returns  same  to  the  Fire  Mar- 
shall. 

c.  Reports  to  Fire  Marshall  all  fires  that  occur,  for  which 

no  alarm  is  sounded,  and  which  are  extinguished  with- 
out the  aid  of  the  Bureau  of  Fire.  This  information 
usually  is  obtained  from  insurance  companies. 

d.  Tabulates  all  information,  an   account  of  each  fire,  the 

cause,  the  amount  of  insurance  and  of  loss,  and  pub- 
lishes the  information  in  an  annual  report. 

III.    ANALYSIS  OF  RESULTS. 
1.     DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  WORKS. 
a.     Bureau  of  Water. 

15,600  low  pressure  hydrants  are  inspected  semi-an- 
nually  by  10  men  at  the  rate  of  10  per  day.     This  inspec- 

77 


tion  is  too  infrequent.  These  hydrants  are  used  for  street 
and  sewer  flushing  and  sometimes  by  private  parties. 
Much  damage  from  such  use  is  reported ;  many  of  the  out- 
let caps  are  not  replaced  and  sticks  and  stones  get  into  the 
orifice  and  the  screw  threads  are  exposed  to  injury.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  high  pressure  hydrants  are  inspected 
weekly. 

At  the  Race  Street  High  Pressure  Station  the  men 
work  on  24  hour  shifts,  that  is  to  say — one  group  comes 
on  at  7  a.  m.  and  continues  on  duty  until  7  a.  m.  the  next 
day.  As  a  result  when  night  comes,  all  but  one  of  the 
men  on  duty  go  to  bed,  in  the  station,  and  are  awakened 
by  a  man  on  watch  when  the  call  for  service  comes  in. 
Most  of  the  demands  for  the  high  pressure  fire  service 
comes  at  night.  The  question  is  therefore  raised  whether 
the  efficiency  of  the  station  would  not  be  materially  in- 
creased if  the  men  were  placed  on  12  hour  shifts,  so  that 
all  those  on  duty  at  night  might  be  fully  rested,  wide 
awake,  alert  and  ready  for  any  demands. 

2.     DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  SAFETY. 

a.  Bureau  of  Building  Inspection. 

16,215  buildings  were  inspected  with  78,562  visits 
during  1911 ;  this  being  at  the  rate  of  4910  visits  per  in- 
spector. The  organization  of  the  Bureau  appears  to  be 
efficient  and  within  the  limitations  of  the  present  building 
law.  As  a  result  of  the  weekly  reports  from  the  police, 
the  Bureau  appears  to  control  with  few  exceptions  all  con- 
struction and  alterations. 

b.  Bureau  of  Police. 

1.  Uniformed  Force. 

NOTE  5^2. — If  the  police  could  report  all  dirty  and  dangerous 
conditions,  they  would  render  additional  valuable  service. 

The  police  are  a  material  aid  to  the  Bureau  of  Build- 
ing Inspection,  in  enforcing  the  requirement  of  a  permit 
before  beginning  building  operations. 

One  or  two  patrol  wagons  with  8  to  16  men,  the 
street  sergeants,  and  lieutenant  respond  promptly  to  each 
box  alarm.  Fire  lines  are  promptly  roped  off  and  the 
crowds  are  effectively  handled. 

2.  Fire  Marshall. 

The  weak  point  in  the  series  of  organizations  for 
effective  fire  prevention  in  Philadelphia  is  the  Fire  Mar- 
shall and  his  staff.  This  may  be  due  to  an  imperfect  con- 
ception on  the  part  of  the  Chief  of  the  duties  of  his  office ; 

78 


to  inefficient  direction  and  supervision  of  the  staff;  to 
failure  to  provide  adequate  information  through  suitable 
records  and  report;  or  to  an  inedaquate  staff. 

(a)  Investigation  of  Fires. 

Three  assistant  marshalls  are  assigned  to  attendance 
at  fires  and  the  investigation  of  the  causes  of  fires.  The 
Fire  Marshall  personally  attends  important  fires  and 
shares  in  important  investigations.  3900  fires  occur  an- 
nually, averaging  1300  per  man  or  4  per  day  per  man. 
The  time  available  for  making  these  investigations  is  an 
important  factor  in  determining  the  efficiency  of  the  work. 
Assuming  a  12  hour  working  day,  excluding  meals,  7  days 
in  the  week — and  this  duration  of  duty  seems  excessive, 
an  hour  must  be  deducted  for  going  to  and  from  the  office 
for  the  daily  report  at  9  o'clock,  as  required  by  the  rules. 
Some  deduction  must  also  be  made  for  time  required  to 
inspect  moving  picture  shows  and  theatres  and  places 
where  combustibles  are  stored. 

Based  on  these  facts,  an  average  of  less  than  two 
hours  and  a  half  of  a  fire  marshal's  time  can  be  given  to 
each  fire  for  policing  the  streets  and  investigating  the 
causes  of  the  fire.  As  a  result  the  investigation  reports 
are  brief  and  incomplete;  giving  little  more  information 
than  might  be  supplied  by  the  Bureau  of  Fire,  or  the  Bu- 
reau of  Police. 

The  records  for  1911  show  that  5  arrests  were  made 
for  arson  and  that  3935  fires  occurred  of  which  5  were 
clearly  incendiary;  46  supposed  incendiary,  and  294  from 
unknown  causes.  In  the  City  of  Chicago,  in  1910,  1288 
fires  were  investigated  by  the  fire  attorney,  resulting  in 
34  arrests.  Of  8555  fires,  56  were  incendiary,  129  sup- 
posed incendiary  and  2594  from  unknown  causes. 

No  practical  use  moreover  is  generally  made  of  the 
results  of  investigations.  The  entire  motive  of  the  Fire 
Marshall's  Office  appears  to  be  to  learn  the  name  of  the 
cause,  and  to  have  the  name  written  down  in  the  record 
book,  rather  than  to  utilize  the  information  in  an  attempt 
to  prevent  the  occurrence  of  future  fires. 

(b)  Storage  of  Explosives  and  Combustibles. 

During  the  year  1911,  the  number  of  inspections  re- 
ported were: 

229  of  dynamite 

74  of  chemicals  and  explosives 
248  of  combustibles 
544  of  gasolene  and  volatile  oils. 

79 


The  report,  however,  does  not  show  clearly  whether 
these  are  the  number  of  inspections  or  number  of  places 
inspected.  The  greater  part  of  this  work  was  performed 
by  the  three  Assistant  Marshalls  in  addition  to  attendance 
on  and  investigation  of  fires,  and  inspection  of  theatres 
and  moving  picture  shows  every  two  months.  The  Fire 
Insurance  Patrol  in  1910  found  over  2000  gallons  of  reck- 
less storage  of  gasolene,  in  an  inspection  of  3300  build- 
ings. The  Philadelphia  Fire  Underwriters  report  that 
"every  day"  they  discover  instances  of  the  storage  of  ex- 
plosives, gasolene  and  combustibles  in  violation  of  the  law. 
In  one  instance  they  found  3000  pounds  of  calcium  car- 
bide stored  in  a  cellar  without  a  license;  the  maximum 
allowed  by  law  being  600  pounds  to  be  stored  above  grade. 

These  illustrations  show  an  imperfect  control  of  the 
situation  by  the  Fire  Marshall. 

(c)  Fire  Escape  Inspection. 

One  Assistant  Marshall  devotes  his  time  exclusively 
to  the  direction  of  the  work  of  ten  men.  These  inspectors 
report  every  morning  at  the  Fire  Marshall's  office  at  9 
o'clock.  In  this  way  they  consume  probably  half  an  hour 
per  day  or  3  hours  a  week,  so  that  the  time  available  for 
inspections  is  about  36  hours  per  week. 

Block  inspections  have  been  made  of  9353  buildings 
in  8  months,  and  the  reports  contain  information  regard- 
ing fire  escapes,  exits,  stairways,  and  fire  safeguards  about 
elevator  shafts.  In  8  months  4656  inspections  of  fire  es- 
capes of  record  were  made;  apparently  included  in  9353 
building  inspections.  The  rate  of  work  is  5  to  7  inspec- 
tions per  day;  that  is  the  average  inspection  consumes 
about  an  hour.  It  would  seem  that  this  rate  could  easily 
be  increased  to  form  10  to  14  per  day  or  30  minutes  per 
inspection.  However,  there  are  no  data  available  as  a 
basis  for  judgment  on  this  point. 

(d)  Inspection  of  Buildings  and  Contents  during  occupancy. 

Three  Assistant  Marshalls  are  assigned  to  the  inspec- 
tion of  buildings. 

Moving  picture  shows  and  theatres  are  examined 
every  two  months  as  to  the  condition  of  exits  and  aisles. 
These  buildings  are  not  uniformly  distributed  throughout 
the  city  and  the  bulk  of  the  work  probably  is  handled  by 
two  men — supplemented  perhaps  by  the  Fire  Marshall. 

Regarding  all  other  buildings  in  the  City — office 
buildings,  factories,  schools,  stores,  tenements  and  resi- 
dences, there  is  no  systematic  inspection  of  occupancy  and 

80 


condition,  and  no  records  descriptive  of  the  conditions 
found. 

The  Fire  Marshall's  report  for  1911  mentions  36  cases 
of  defective  flues  and  of  faulty  or  dangerous  condition. 
Also  9353  buildings  examined  primarily  as  to  whether 
they  need  fire  escapes.  These  are  the  only  references  in- 
dicating inspection  of  the  375,000  buildings  in  the  City. 

As  to  the  interpretation  of  his  legal  powers  and  du- 
ties, the  Fire  Marshall  has  expressed  the  opinion  : 

First,  that  the  law  of  June  8,  1911,  gives  him  no 
authority  except  to  inspect  aisles  and  exits. 

Second,  that  the  clause  ''dangerous  and  faulty 
conditions"  refers  to  construction  (c.  g.  to  walls  lia- 
ble to  fall.) 

Third,  that  a  city  ordinance  must  be  passed  be- 
fore the  law  becomes  effective. 

Authority  to  inspect  aisles  and  exits  was  given  to  the 
Fire  Marshall  as  early  as  March  24,  1903,  by  a  legislative 
act.  The  law  of  June  8,  1911,  is  clear  and  specific  and 
confers  broad  powers  on  the  Fire  Marshall.  Even  if  the 
law  were  not  clear  in  its  terms,  it  would  be  a  simple  mat- 
ter for  the  Fire  Marshall  to  obtain  from  the  City  Solicitor 
an  authorative  interpretation  of  the  law  as  it  affects  his 
powers,  duties  and  limitations. 

The  object  of  occupancy  inspection  clearly  is  to  re- 
duce dangerous  conditions.  In  order  to  be  effective,  such 
inspection  should  be  concerned  with  protection  against  fire, 
which  may  vary  with  the  nature  of  the  occupancy,  and 
should  cover  the  housekeeping,  as  to  whether  the  business 
is  conducted  in  a  cleanly  manner  with  clean  floors  and 
cans  for  oily  waste  and  the  like. 

Electrical  Bureau. 

The  care  of  the  fire  alarm  signalling  system  and  its 
adjuncts,  and  of  the  telephone  system  for  the  direction  of 
the  operation  of  the  high  pressure  fire  service  are  entirely 
under  the  control  of  the  Electrical  Bureau.  A  large  num- 
ber of  the  boxes  are  of  the  key  type  and  show  no  instruc- 
tions where  keys  may  be  obtained,  consequently  delays  re- 
sult in  sounding  an  alarm.  The  sounding  of  ten  blows 
before  each  alarm,  and  20  blows  and  special  signals  re- 
quiring from  9  to  1 8  blows  before  the  third  alarm — occa- 
sions needless  delay.  This  delay  is  considerable  for  the 
rate  of  gong  signals  is  one  blow  per  second.  Other  cities 
have  not  found  these  preliminary  blows  necessary. 


81 


d.  Bureau  of  Boiler  Inspection. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  obtain  data  regarding 
the  efficiency  of  this  organization. 

e.  Bureau  of  Fire. 

The  chief  business  of  this  organization  is  fighting 
fires.  The  question  may  be  raised  whether  systematic 
provision  should  not  be  made  to  drill  the  man  in  handling 
hose  and  other  apparatus,  rather  than  to  leave  the  men  to 
be  trained  entirely  by  experience  under  the  excitement  of 
actual  fires. 

It  is  suggested  that  the  division  of  territory  among 
the  district  engineers  may  be  greatly  improved.  As  a  re- 
sult of  overlapping,  one  part  of  the  city,  including  two 
engine  houses  and  a  ladder  house  is  assigned  to  4  district 
engineers.  One  district  is  contained  entirely  within  an- 
other, leaving  it  uncertain  to  the  layman  at  least ;  which 
district  engineer  is  responsible  for  the  condition  of  the 
stations  in  the  inner  section.  Four  small  portions  of  the 
city  are  not  covered  at  all. 

An  engine  is  usually  out  of  service  while  the  horses 
are  being  shod ;  no  provision  being  made  for  an  extra  pair 
of  horses  to  be  on  duty  at  such  times. 

No  one  person  is  responsible  for  the  condition  and 
regular  testing  of  engines.  As  a  result  it  is  probable  that 
many  of  the  engines  when  pumping  water  at  fires,  are  not 
working  as  efficiently  as  they  should.  In  1906,  tests  of 
the  fire  engines  were  made  by  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of 
Boiler  Inspection,  in  the  presence  of  the  Chief  of  the  Bu- 
reau of  Fire  and  two  experts,  representing  the  Trades 
League  of  Philadelphia.  These  tests  each  of  one  hour 
duration  were  made  on  51  engines  under  working  condi- 
tions and  resulted  in  the  disabling  of  10  engines,  while 
repairs  were  recommended  on  10  others.  From  3%  to 
5%  is  regarded  as  a  reasonable  slip  of  a  pump.  38  en- 
gines out  of  51  showed  excessive  slippage;  22  exceeded 
10%  and  one  showed  30%. 

3.     PHILADELPHIA  FIRE  UNDERWRITERS'  ASSOCIATION. 

The  affairs  of  this  organization  as  regards  fire  pre- 
vention are  efficiently  handled.  In  1911,  the  Survey  De- 
partment visited  10,912  risks  for  rating  at  the  rate  of  5.6 
per  day  per  man.  There  were  6231  blocks  inspections  at 
the  rate  of  15  to  30  per  day  per  man  and  a  large  number 
of  improvements  of  various  sorts  resulted.  The  Electri- 
cal Inspectors  visited  50,930  risks;  and  there  were  5312 
visits  to  buildings  equipped  with  sprinklers.  There  are 

82 


71 8  fully  and  partially  equipped  sprinkler  systems  and  44 
"open"  sprinkler  systems  in  the  city. 

4.     FIRE  INSURANCE  PATROL. 

During  1910,  over  3300  buildings  were  inspected  by 
two  men,  at  the  rate  of  5.5  inspections  per  man  per  day. 
The  results  of  these  inspections  are  reported  to  the  Phila- 
delphia Fire  Underwriters'  Association.  The  Fire  Patrol 
attended  577  fires.  There  is  a  good  spirit  of  co-operation 
between  this  organization,  the  Fire  Marshall  and  the  Bu- 
reau of  Fire. 

ANALYSIS  OF  RESULTS — SUMMARY 

1.  SUPERVISION  OF  CONSTRUCTION. 

The  various  organizations  and  methods  provide  for 
the  control  of  all  building  construction  and  alterations  and 
the  inspections  are  generally  effective  within  the  limits  of 
the  present  building  law. 

2.  INSPECTION  DURING  OCCUPANCY. 

This  is  the  weak  point  in  the  municipal  activities  for 
effective  fire  prevention.  The  chief  source  of  weakness  is 
found  in  the  Division  of  Fire  Marshall.  While  the  laws 
are  adequate,  no  systematic  attempt  is  made  to  reduce 
effectively  the  fire  hazards  of  buildings  and  contents,  ex- 
cept in  one  particular  form  of  protection,  the  fire  escape. 

3.  EXTINGUISHING  OF  FIRES  AND  SALVAGE. 

The  equipment  for  fighting  fires  is  in  some  ways 
unsatisfactory.  The  water  pressure  is  insufficient;  due 
perhaps  to  lavish  use  throughout  the  city,  averaging  200 
gallons  per  capita  per  day.  An  extension  of  the  high 
pressure  system  along  Vine  Street  is  desirable.  There  are 
avoidable  delays  in  the  transmission  of  an  alarm.  In 
many  instances  the  fire  apparatus  is  very  probably  in  poor 
condition. 

In  1910,  there  were  3717  fires  with  a  total  loss  of 
$2,482,000,  of  which  $1,835,000,  about  74%,  represents 
the  loss  of  51  fires,  at  an  average  of  $36,000  each. 

4.  INVESTIGATION  OF  THE  CAUSES  OF  FIRE. 

NOTE  6. — The  state  fire  marshalls  of  Ohio  and  Wisconsin  have 
accomplished  remarkable  results  in  recent  years  by  a  continuous 
policy  of  educating  the  public  in  detail.  The  city  fire  marshall  in 
Philadelphia  could  without  doubt  accomplish  quite  as  much. 

The  chief  motives  of  the  investigation,  conducted  by 
the  Fire  Marshall,  seem  to  make  a  record  of  the  name 
of  the  cause  of  the  fire,  and  to  prosecute  criminal  cases. 

83 


In  contrast  to  these  motives  of  fire  investigation  the 
following  newspaper  statement  is  suggestive: 

"JOSEPH  JOHNSON,  Fire  Commission  of 
New  York,  has  had  40,000  notices  posted  in  the  fac- 
tories of  the  city  forbidding  smoking.  The  notices 
are  printed  in  English,  Yiddish,  and  Italian,  and  the 
inspectors  are  required  to  see  that  they  are  obeyed. 
That  the  order  was  necessary,  was  shown  by  an  in- 
vestigation which  brought  out  the  fact  that,  in  1910, 
3240  fires  in  New  York  city  were  directly  attributable 
to  the  careless  use  of  matches  by  smokers,  or  to 
lighted  cigar  or  cigarette  stubs  thrown  into  waste 
paper  or  refuse/' 

IV.     CONSTRUCTIVE  SUGGESTIONS 

In  view  of  the  defects  in  organization  and  administrative 
method  which  even  the  foregoing  incomplete  analysis  has 
shown  to  exist  the  following  suggestions  are  offered  as  a 
basis  for  discussion  or  for  immediate  application  so  far  as 
they  command  themselves  to  the  judgment  of  the  responsible 
administrative  officers. 

The  weakest  link  in  the  chain  of  official  agencies  having 
to  do  with  fire  prevention  and  protection,  is  evidently  the  fire 
marshall's  office.  The  following  suggestions  are  submitted 
with  a  view  to  pointing  our  ways  and  means  for  increasing  the 
efficiency  of  the  fire  marshall's  office  by  making  more  complete 
and'  better  use  of  the  legal  powers  and  financial  resources 
already  available. 

1,  REORGANIZATION  OF  OFFICE  STAFF  AND  FIELD  FORCE. 
A.     Office  Staff. 

,/.  Fire  Marshall :  an  executive  officer  of  requisite  personal- 
ity, training  and  experience  to  handle  men,  organize  the 
details  of  office  management,  collect  and  classify  the 
information  now  legally  obtainable  and  necessary  for 
intelligent  action  and  make  effective  use  of  such  infor- 
mation in  controlling  the  business  of  the  office,  and  in 
enforcing  the  requirements  of  the  laws  and  ordinances 
affecting  fire  prevention  and  protection. 

2.  A  chief  clerk,  preferably  a  stenographer,  qualified  to  de- 

vise methods  for  facilitating  the  business  of  the  office, 
j.  In  case  it  is  shown  by  experience  that  the  clerical  work  of 
the  office  cannot  be  handled  by  the  chief  clerk  alone, 
a  subordinate  clerk,  preferably  a  stenographer,  should 
be  employed. 

84 


B.     Field  Force. 

i.     Four  (4)  Assistant  Fire  Marshalls  performing  the  follow- 
ing duties : 

a.  Investigation    of    the   causes    of   fires    with    the   primary 

object  of  correcting  conditions  that  constitute  fire 
hazards  and  institution  of  prosecutions  in  cases  of  pre- 
sumptive arson. 

Such  investigation  might  include  also  a  study  of  the 
efficiency  of  the  bureau  of  fire  in  handling  fires. 

b.  Regulation  of  the  storage  of  gasoline  explosives  and  com- 

bustibles in  the  territory  outside  of  that  assigned  to 
the  fire  escape  inspectors. 

c.  Require  that  written  reports  of  work   done  and  results 

accomplished  be  submitted  by  mail  or  in  person  at  the 
close  of  each  working  day ;  with  monthly  summaries  of 
the  same. 

d.  Discontinue  the  practice  of  requiring  inspectors  to  report 

in  person  daily  at  9  a.  m.  at  the  Fire  Marshall's  office. 
The  first  hour  is  the  most  valuable  in  the  day  to  the 
Fire  Marshalls  in  planning  his  work  and  should  be  free 
from  needless  interruptions.  An  undue  amount  of  the 
Assistant  Marshall's  time  in  the  best  part  of  the  day  is 
also  wasted. 

e.  Discontinue  the  requirement  that  Fire   Marshalls   attend 

every  fire. 

The  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Fire  receives  from  his 
men  a  report  of  every  fire  with  detailed  information 
including  cause.  These  reports  are  available  and  copies 
may  be  sent  to  the  Fire  Marshall's  office. 

A  more  effective  investigation  furthermore  can  be 
made  after  a  fire  than  during  the  confusion  of  the  fire 
itself.  By  relieving  the  Assistant  Fire  Marshall  of  exces- 
sive night  work,  it  should  be  possible  to  improve  measur- 
ably the  quality  and  quantity  of  inspection  service  directed 
toward  the  prevention  of  fires. 

f.  Relieves  the  Fire  Marshalls  of  the  responsibility  for  the 

supervision  of  policing  at  fires. 

This  service  is  a  simple  duty  which  the  police  organ- 
ization is  competent  to  perform. 

g.  Discontinue  the  inspection  of  theatres  and  moving  picture 

shows  by  fire  marshalls. 

There  is  an  unnecessary  duplication  of  duties  in  this 
field. 

(a)    'Theatres  are  inspected  monthly  as  to  fire  hazards  by  the 
District  Fire  Engineers; 

85 


(b)  Moving  pictures  shows  under  the  suggested  plan  will 
be  inspected  quarterly  by  the  Fire  Escape  Inspectors,  and 
are  inspected  weekly  now  as  regards  electric  wiring  by 
the  Electrical  Bureau. 

2.     Ten  (10)  Fire  Escape  Inspectors. 

a.  Make  the  inspectors  responsible  directly  to  the  Fire  Mar- 

shall rather  than  to  an  assistant  marshall  as  ^at  present. 

b.  Assign  each  of  nine  inspectors  to  a  definite  territory  of 

at  least  1500  buildings,  and  require  them  to  make  inspec- 
tions of  occupancy  and  conditions  of  buildings  at  the 
same  time  and  in  addition  to  examination  of  fire  escapes. 
The  rate  of  block  inspection  by  the  Philadelphia  Fire 
Underwriters'  Association  is  15  to  30  buildings  per  day 
per  man.  At  the  rate  of  20  per  day,  each  inspector  can 
report  upon  6000  buildings  annually. 

c.  Change  assignment  of  territory  quarterly,  in  order  that 

each  building  may  be  examined  by  a  different  inspector 
in  successive  periods;  the  work  of  each  inspector  will 
in  this  way  be  subject  to  check  by  others. 

d.  Assign  one  inspector  to  the  part  of  the  city  not  covered 

by  the  other  nine,  to  inspect  quarterly  all  fire  escapes 
of  record  in  that  territory. 

e.  Discontinue  the  requirement  that  inspectors  report  in  per- 

son at  the  Fire  Marshall's  office  daily  at  9  a.  m. 

f.  Require  each  inspector  to  render  written  reports  at  the 

close  of  each  working  day,  showing  work  done  and  re- 
sults accomplished.  These  reports  to  be  summarized  in 
weekly,  monthly  and  annual  reports. 

Maintain  a  card  for  each  building  and  of  the  con- 
tents to  be  made  out  at  the  time  of  the  inspection,  stating 
the  location,  names  of  owner  and  occupant,  nature  of  oc- 
cupancy, conditions  of  construction,  nature  of  special  pro- 
tection, housekeeping  condition  and  special  hazards  (see 
suggested  outline  of  occupancy  inspection  report). 

g.  Require  each  inspector  to  return  also  a  special  form  of  re- 

port for  fire  escapes ;  also  a  special  form  of  report  for 
high  pressure,  gasolene  and  combustibles. 

h.  Make  proper  provision  for  the  issue  of  formal  written 
notification  by  inspectors,  to  owners  or  occupants,  re- 
garding conditions  to  be  corrected ;  a  copy  of  such  noti- 
fication to  be  filed  in  the  office  of  the  Fire  Marshall  to- 
gether with  proper  records  of  subsequent  inspectors  and 
the  results  obtained. 


86 


2.     APPOINTMENT  OF  A  COMMISSION  OF  FIRE  PROTECTION. 

The  present  preliminary  study  is  not  assumed  to  cover 
the  field  in  a  complete  or  systematic  manner ;  it  has  rather 
developed  the  need  for  a  more  comprehensive  and  thor- 
ough investigation  of  the  problems  of  the  prevention  and 
protection  in  Philadelphia. 

It  is  accordingly  suggested  that  the  Mayor  be  re- 
quested to  appoint  a  commission,  consisting  of  nine  per- 
sons of  proper  qualifications,  to  ascertain  the  facts  and  to 
submit  a  constructive  program  for  increasing  the  efficiency 
of  the  several  public  agencies  concerned  and  for  bringing 
about  a  better  correlation  between  the  different  agencies 
and  between  them  and  the  private  agencies  performing 
related  functions. 

In  general,  the  scope  of  such  an  inquiry  might  be  as 
follows : 

A.  The  functions  now  performed  and  the  methods  employed 

by  the  several  public  and  private  agencies. 

B.  The  extent  of  divided  responsibility,  overlapping  of  duties, 

or  otherwise  ineffective  distribution  of  functions, 
c.     Ordinances  or  state  laws  needed  to  define,  supplement,  or 
limit  the  powers  and  duties  of  the  agencies  concerned. 

D.  Changes  in  administrative  methods  and  procedure  neces- 

sary to  increase  the  individual  and  collective  efficacy  of 
these  agencies — public  and  private. 

E.  Additional    equipment    and    financial    provision,    if    any, 

needed    to   insure   the   community   adequately    against 
waste  of  property  and  life  through  preventable  fires. 

F.  Relation  of  the  State  Fire  Marshall  law  to  the  City's  pro- 

gram of  fire  prevention  and  protection. 

G.  Means  for  reducing  the  danger  of  loss  by  fire  of  property 

owned  by  the  municipality. 

H.  A  program  for  educating  the  Community  to  preventable 
fire  waste  and  for  securing  the  cooperation  of  citizens 
in  a  constructive  plan  for  reducing  waste,  and  procur- 
ing volunteer  inspections  and  reports  which  will  assist 
the  fire  marshall. 


CITATIONS  OF  STATUTES  AND  ORDINANCES  RELATING  TO  FIRE  PRO- 
TECTION AND  PREVENTION  IN  PHILADELPHIA 


O.  March  28,  1894;   p.  89-96 
O.  April  10,  1894;  p.  199-200 
O.  June  12,  1894;   p.  232 
O.  March  2,  1895 ;   p.  29 
O.  Nov.  9,  1897;  p.  222 


A.     Denotes  acts  of  the  State  Legislature. 
O.     Denotes  ordinances  of  Councils. 

I.      BUILDING   LAWS 

A.  April  10,  1849;  P-  L.  600  O.  Sept.  15,  1856;  p.  219 

A.  May  7,  1855;  P.  L.  468-469       O.  June  20,  1863;  p.  191 
A.  March  n,  1862;   P.  L.  109-1100.  Sept.  30,  1880;  p.  144-145 
A.  March  22,  1865;   P.  L.  538        O.  Dec.  30,  1886;  p.  350 
A.  May  6,  1870;   P.  L.  1303 
A.  June  i,  1885;   P.  L.  401 
A.  June  7,  1895;  P.  L.  178-181 
A.  May  5,  1899;  P.  L.  193-228 
A.  June  5,  1901 ;  P.  L.  480-486 

A.  April  25,  1903;   P.  L.  304-312  O.  Oct.  17,  1898;  "p.  209-210 
A.  June  9,  1911;   P.  L.  O.  Apr.  6,  1900;   p.  140-144 

O.  Feb.  23,  1906;  p.  22 
O.  Mar,  12,1906,  p.  29 
O.  Mar.  28,  1907;  p.  105 

Sept.  28,  1906  rules  for  testing  new  materials 
Oct.       8,  1907  rules  for  hollow  concrete  blocks 

2.      INSPECTION    GAS   PIPING 

O.  Nov.  12,  1897;  p.  227 

INSPECTION  OF  ELECTRIC  WIRING 

O.  March  13,  1883;  p.  68-72 
O.  Jan.  3,  1884;  p.  1-2 
O.  July  n,  1884;  p.  190 
O.  July  18,  1885;  p.  202 
O.  Feb.  16,  1886;  p.  27 
O.  Aug.  5,  1886;  p.  243-246 
O.  Dec.  30,  1886;  p.  350 
O.  Dec.  31,  1886;  p.  426 
O.  March  19,  1888;  p.  48 
O.  March  29,  1888;  p.  148 
O.  Feb.  6,  1891 ;  p.  19 
O.  March  10,  1908;  p.  34 
O.  July  i,  1908;  p.  170-171 
O.  April  T2,  1909;  p.  118 


J.    liNS.fE.d 

A.  June  25,  1885 ;  P.  L.  164 
A.  AprilS,  1903;  P.  L.  155 


O.  April  18,  1863 ;  p.  80 
O.  Sept.  20,  1867;  p.  284 
O.  Dec.  9,  1868;  p.  470 
O.  March  7,  1871 ;  p.  48 
O.  Dec.  21,  1880;  p.  240-242 
O.  Jan.  6,  1881 ;  p.  1-4 
O.  Feb.  21,  1881;  p.  25 
O.  June  13,  1882;  p.  165 


88 


4-      INSPECTION  OF  FIRE  ESCAPES 

A.  June  I,  1885;  P.  L.  40  O.  Jan.  7,  1882;  p.  17-22 

A.  June  3,  1885;   P.  L.  68-70          O.  Dec.  30,  1886;  p.  344,  p.  350 
A.  May  9,  1889;  P.  L.  170  O.  Dec.  10,  1896;  p.  253 

O.  April  2,  1901 ;   p.  121 

Rules  and  Regulations  of  Director  of  Public  Safety  Dec.  28,  1906 — 
Specifications  for  Fire  Escapes. 

5.      INSPECTION  OF  THEATRES 

A.  May  22,  1879;  P.  L.  74 

A.  May  5,  1899;  §49,  P.  L.  217 

A.  May  23,  1907;  P.  L.  221 

6.      INSPECTION   OF   MOVING  PICTURE  SHOWS 

O.  Feb.  25,  1908;  p.  26-28 

7-   INSPECTION  OF  ELECTRIC  SIGNS 

O.  April  12,  1909;  p.  118 

8.      SUPERVISION   OF   BOILERS   AND   STEAM    ENGINES 

A.  May  7,  1864;  P.  L.  880-881   O.  July  13,  1868;  p.  328-334 
A.  June  i,  1885;  P.  L.  38      O.  Feb.  16,  1882;  p.  44-49 
A.  March  n,  1891;  P.  L.  5-7    O.  Jan.  25,  1883;  p.  25 
A.  April  18,  1899;  P.  L.  49-52   O.  July  7,  1886;  p.  230 
A.  March  10,  1903;  P.  L.  21     O.  Dec.  30,  1886;  p.  350 

O.  June  15,  1892;  p.  261 

9.      STORAGE  OF  EXPLOSIVES  AND  COMBUSTIBLES 

A.  Aug.  26,  1721;  Sm.  L.  129-130  A.  March  26,  1872;  P.  L.  575 
A.  Mar.  28,  1787;  Sm.  L.  402-408  A.  May  15,  1874;  P.  L.  189 
A.  April  4,  1807;  Sm.  L.  392     A.  April  17,  1878;  P.  L.  23 
A.  Feb.  25,  1808;  P.  L.  76      A.  May  23,  1878;  P.  L.  102 
A.  March  14,  1818;  Sm.  L.  83-85  A.  June  10,  1881 ;  P.  L.  in 
A.  March  16,  1809;  Sm.  L.  27-28  A.  June  i,  1885;  P.  L.  40-41,  54 
A.  March  16,  1847;  P-  L.  473    A.  June  n,  1885;  P.  L.  in 
A.  April  n,  1848;  P.  L.  506     A.  June  4,  1901;  P.  L.  361 
A.  April  22,  1850;  P.  L.  539     A.  April  8,  1903;  P.  L.  156 
A.  April  8,  1851;  P.  L.  384     A.  March  24,  1905;  P.  L.  149 
A.  April  14,  1851;  P.  L.  551     A.  June  i,  1911;  P.  L.  542 
A.  March  20,  1856;  P.  L.  137-139  A.  June  i,  1911 ;  P.  L.  554 
A.  May  5,  1864;  P.  L.  841 

A.  March  2,  1865;  P.  L.  262-263  O.  Sept.  23,  1864;  p.  361-362 
A.  March  23,  1865;  P.  L.  744    O.  June  20,  1881 ;  p.  149  " 
A.  March  24,  1865 ;  P.  L.  749-750  O.  Dec.  30,  1886 ;  p.  350 
A.  March  12,  1866;  P.  L.  160    O.  April  6,  1892;  p.  136 
A.  May  23,  1871;  P.  L.  1053     O-  April  2,  1901;  p.  110-126 

O.  March  5,  1907;  p.  69 


IO.      FIRE  ALARM 

see  c.  Inspection  of  Electric  Wiring 
A.  Feb.  28,  1865 ;  p.  238 


also 


II.      BUREAU  OF  FIRE 


A.  March  7,  1848;  P.  L.  in  O. 

A.  April  n,  1868;  P.  L.  862  O. 

A.  June  i,  1885;  P.  L.  40-41  O. 

O. 

O.  March  15,  1806;  p.  397  O. 

O.  July  5,  1867;  p.  238  '  O. 

O.  April  12,  1869;  p.  143  O. 

O.  Dec.  29,  1870;  p.  592-596  O. 

O.  Jan.  19,  1871 ;  p.  6  O. 
O.  Dec.  1 8,  1871 ;  p.  493 


April  3,  1883 ;  p.  85 
June  29,  1883 ;  p.  198 
July  n,  1884;  p.  90 
Dec.  30,  1886;  p.  349-350 
April  4,  1887;  p.  173 
Sept  25,  1888;  p.  268 
Oct.  14,  1899;  p.  185 
Dec.  20,  1906;  p.  298 
May  10,  1907;  p.  1 36 


12.      FIRE  MARSHAL 


see  also  d,  e,  f  and  i. 
O.  March  25,  1864 


A.  April  20,  1864;  P.  L.  515-516 

A.  June  i,  1885;   P-  L.  40  O.  Dec.  24/1870;  p.  566 

A.  March  24,  1903 ;   P.  L.  48-49     O.  April  2,  1901 ;  p.  121 
A.  June  8,  1911 ;   P.  L.  705 
(Fire  Marshall  Law) 
A.  June  9,  1911;   P.  L.  746 


O.  May  24,  1904 


13.      FIRE  DRILLS 

A.  May.  12,  1911;   P.  L.  294  schools 

A.  June  7,  1911 ;  P.  L.  677  factories 


14.      FIRE  INSURANCE  PATROL 

A.  May  22,  1895;   P.  L. 

15.      FIRE  PLUGS BUREAU  OF  WATER 


O.  Sept.  23,  1864;  p.  360 
O.  June  i,  1877;  p.  241-242 
O.  March  17,  1884;  p.  38 
O.  Dec.  30,  1886;  p.  350 


FIRE   WASTE 

(Reprint  from  Survey  (N.  Y.),  July  I,  1911.) 


The  contributor  of  the  following  article  is  president  of 
the  Merchant  and  Evans  Company,  the  Schuylkill  Railway 
Company,  and  the  International  Sprinkler  Company,  and  di- 
rector of  the  Tradesmen's  National  Bank,  Philadelphia.  The 
conclusions  presented  are  based  on  his  experience  as  merchant, 
manufacturer,  and  engineer,  and  have  the  weight  of  an  inti- 
mate knowledge  of  iire  prevention  and  protection  engineering 
extending  over  the  past  ten  years,  together  with  a  comparative 
study  of  the  subject  abroad  during  the  past  five  years. 

As  chairman  of  the  iire  prevention  and  insurance  com- 
mittees of  the  National  Association  of  Manufacturers,  the  Na- 
tional Hardware  Association,  the  National  Association  of 
Credit  Men,  and  the  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research,  Philadel- 
phia, he  has  since  190?  been  in  close  touch  with  the  preparation 
of  legislation  to  control  fire  waste  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
buyer  of  insurance.  The  fire  marshal  law,  which  has  been 
before  the  current  Pennsylvania  Legislature,  embodies  many 
of  his  ideas.  It  is  published  in  this  issue  in  part. 

Mr.  Evans  made  a  report  on  Fire  waste  of  Created  Re- 
sources at  the  First  Conservation  Congress  in  Washington,  in 
May,  ipo8,  which  was  later  adopted  by  the  National  Board  of 
Fire  Underwriters  as  its  official  utterance  on  the  subject  on 
that  occasion.  He  was  a  witness  before  the  Legislative  In- 
vestigating Commission  on  the  subject  of  Fire  Prevention  dur- 
ing its  hearings  in  New  York  the  past  winter.  The  great 
factory  fires  in  New  York  and  Newark  give  marked  timeliness 
to  the  facts  and  views  he  so  vigorously  presents. 


Fire  waste  in  the  United  States  and  Canada  is  about  ten 
times  that  of  western  Europe.  It  averages  broadly  $250,000,- 
ooo  yearly  with  $150,000,000  added  expense  for  protective 
measures  imperatively  demanded  by  this  great,  continuous,  and 
increasing  loss. 

The  1910  fire  waste  would  pay  the  total  interest-bearing 
debt  of  the  country  in  four  years ;  or  would  build  the  Panama 
Canal  in  less  than  two  years.  In  other  terms,  it  exceeds  the 
combined  cost  of  the  United  States  Army  and  Navy  and  the 
interest  on  the  National  debt;  or  nearly  equals  the  combined 
annual  failures  and  pension  payments  in  the  United  States ;  or 
exceeds  the  combined  United  States  gold  and  silver  production 
and  Post  Office  Department  receipts — these  all  annual  figures. 


It  represents  about  40  per  cent,  of  either  the  total  unused 
United  States  government  receipts  or  total  expenditures,  or 
the  net  earnings  of  American  railways ;  it  represents  about  80 
per  cent,  of  either  the  United  States  Internal  Revenue  receipts 
or  the  United  States  Customs  or  the  interest  paid  on  the  rail- 
ways in  the  country.  The  fire  waste  of  the  United  States  in 
the  past  ten  years  exceeds  the  amount  of  gold  held  in  the 
United  Kingdom,  Austria,  Hungary,  Italy  and  Spain.  It  is 
equivalent  to  wiping  out  the  entire  corn  crop  once  every  ten 
years,  and  exceeds  the  annual  value  of  wheat,  hay,  rye  and 
oats.  It  is  twice  the  annual  value  of  the  cotton  crop.  It  costs 
about  $30,000  for  each  hour  in  the  year,  or  $500  for  each 
minute.  It  costs,  moreover,  more  than  1,500  lives  and  5,000 
serious  injuries  annually. 

If  all  buildings  burned  last  year  in  the  United  States  were 
placed  together  on  both  sides  of  a  street,  they  would  make  an 
avenue  of  desolation  reaching  from  Chicago  to  New  York, 
and  although  one  seriously  injured  person  were  rescued  every 
thousand  feet,  at  every  three-quarters  of  a  mile  a  man,  woman, 
or  child  would  nevertheless  be  found  burned  to  death. 

This  fire  loss  averages  three  dollars  per  capita  in  America 
each  year  as  against  thirty  cents  in  Europe.  It  is  absolute 
loss,  and  not  ever  transference  of  value.  It  positively  does 
no  good  to  anyone.  About  two-thirds  of  this  waste  in  life 
and  property  in  this  country  could  easily  be  avoided  by  means 
similar  to  those  employed  in  western  Europe,  where  the  loss 
is  about  one-tenth  of  ours. 

There  are  certain  conditions  in  these  foreign  countries 
that  operate  to  effect  a  lower  fire  loss  than  would  reasonably 
be  possible  here,  viz. :  the  larger  use  of  noncombustible  mate- 
rials, due  to  the  higher  cost  of  wood ;  better  building  codes,  in 
letter  and  practice;  the  lower  height  and  smaller  areas  in- 
volved in  city  construction ;  and  finally,  the  intangible  influence 
of  older  civilizations,  which  makes  people  more  careful  of 
small  savings  in  all  their  affairs  and  generally  more  cautious 
than  we  have  yet  become. 

Allowing  duly  for  these  fundamental  differences  between 
the  countries  compared,  it  is  yet  apparent  that  the  difference 
in  fire  loss  in  the  United  States  over  that  of  the  principal 
western  European  countries  is  outrageously  and  criminally 
greater  than  it  should  be ;  and  this  condition  must  arise  largely 
from  the  ignorance,  the  carelessness,  and  the  indifference  of 
this  country's  inhabitants.  Ignorance,  carelessness,  or  isolated 
self-interest,  when  they  result  in  the  tremendous  sacrifice  of 
life  and  property  now  habitually  occurring  among  us  from 
this  one  cause,  become  nothing  less  than  criminal. 

92 


It  has  been  argued  by  some  that  so  far  in  our  national 
development  the  total  gain  to  national  wealth,  arising  from  the 
permissible  construction  of  buildings  below  the  desirable  stand- 
ard of  fire-resistance  (thus  enabling  men  with  limited  capital 
to  engage  in  business  operations  without  undue  expenditure 
on  property),  has  been  greater  than  if  too  restrictive  building 
laws  had  been  operative.  There  may  have  been  some  merit 
in  this  argument  applied  to  times  and  conditions  which  have 
passed,  but  we  should  now  unquestionably,  on  the  evidence 
before  us,  begin  to  enforce  in  our  cities,  and  enforce  rigidly,  a 
higher  standard  of  fire-preventive  building  construction,  pro- 
tection, and  occupancy.  In  many  European  cities  a  fire  is  held 
substantially  a  crime,  and  the  owner  of  the  property  where  it 
occurs,  regardless  of  size,  must  report  the  facts  to  the  authori- 
ties and  may  be  penalized. 

The  world's  insurance  bill  is  the  measure  of  its  fire  waste. 
In  the  United  States,  insurance  costs,  on  the  average,  about  I 
per  cent,  of  the  policy  value  or  one  dollar  per  one  hundred, 
with  three  dollars  per  capita  fire  waste;  whereas,  in  western 
Europe,  insurance  costs  on  the  average  one-tenth  of  one  per 
cent,  of  the  policy  value  or  ten  cents  per  one  hundred,  with 
thirty  cents  per  capita  fire  waste. 

The  sound  rule  follows  that,  as  fire  waste  is  reduced,  the 
cost  of  insurance  automatically  falls  in  proportion,  and  from 
this  cause  only.  Insurance  is  not  a  commodity  in  the  usual 
term ;  it  is  a  tax  which  distributes  the  fire  waste  of  the  coun- 
try over  its  population.  It  is  fundamentally  a  nation-wide 
average.  About  one-half  of  all  insurance  premiums  collected 
are  returned  to  the  insured  for  fire  losses,  and  the  remaining 
one-half  goes  for  expense  and  profits  in  the  insurance  business. 
Unduly  numerous  or  large  fires,  or  conflagrations,  swell  the 
total  waste  bill,  and  automatically  rates  rise  everywhere  within 
the  national  boundaries,  until  the  half  of  all  collections  is 
great  enough  to  pay  these  losses.  Every  inhabitant  of  the 
country  contributes  an  average  share  of  these  insurance  bills ; 
higher  rents,  clothing,  and  food  bills ;  and  through  them 
higher  credit  rates  and  interest  on  loans.  No  one  can  escape. 
In  the  large,  it  can  safely  be  said  that  every  workman  pays 
this  three  dollars  yearly  for  every  member  of  his  family, 
through  either  one  or  all  of  these  channels. 

Those  not  fully  informed  on  the  subject  may  ask  whether 
the  means  are  known  and  understood  which  will  operate,  if 
applied,  to  reduce  materially  this  fire  loss.  Fire  insurance 
ramifies  throughout  the  life  of  our  country  in  ways  which  can 
be  compared  to  nothing  so  much  as  the  telephone  systems 
which  reach  every  town  and  crossroads.  The  experience  of 
this  insurance  organization,  in  the  field  and  in  the  laboratory 

93 


— thoroughly  detailed,  classified,  and  digested  for  years — pro- 
vides a  fund  of  sure  knowledge,  which,  if  widely  known  and 
applied,  would  yield  certain  results  (not  conjectured,  but 
proved  by  large  practice  over  a  long  period)  ;  but  this  knowl- 
edge is  now  bottled  up  in  a  relatively  small  expert  circle  and 
is  not  widely  enough  diffused  to  enlighten,  stimulate,  and 
guide  the  public. 

A  brief  description  of  this  organization  and  its  economic 
basis  will  be  helpful  to  the  layman : 

Insurance  throughout  the  world  of  commerce  is  essential 
for  credit  in  borrowing  money  in  any  form  or  buying  mer- 
chandise on  time.  Credit  is  a  derivation  from  the  Latin  credo, 
I  believe.  It  is  the  belief  that  any  obligation  will  be  met  as 
agreed.  It  embraces  the  moral  as  well  as  the  material  obliga- 
tion. Between  incurring  and  meeting  an  obligation  lies  that 
gulf  of  the  unforeseen  which  we  bridge  by  hope  and  belief — 
whose  values  are  measured  by  our  resources,  knowledge,  cau- 
tion, courage,  energy,  and  good  intent.  Yet  with  all  these 
present  in  quantity  and  quality  we  must  still  allow  for  the 
elements  of  the  unexpected  and  uncontrollable.  The  total  of 
these  last  named,  as  regards  danger  from  fire,  with  the  fur- 
ther cost  and  reward  for  providing  surely  and  adequately 
against  them,  results  in  the  cost  of  fire  insurance,  which  is 
distributed  as  a  tax  over  the  country  at  large.  It  follows 
clearly  and  logically  that  insurance  is  an  essential  to  sound 
credit  and  therefore  a  general  necessity  all  over  the  country. 
Creditors  should  justly  be  relieved  from  the  risk  of  accidental 
elemental  destruction  of  the  basic  security,  after  taking  the 
moral  and  commercial  risk  commensurate  with  the  return 
without  such  destruction  being  considered.  On  such  a  limita- 
tion of  risk  only  can  average  solvent  credits  be  continuously 
extended.  The  borrower  who  neglects  or  declines  to  insure 
should  justly  pay  the  usual  charge  for  credit  plus  the  cost  of 
insurance  in  each  case.  Hence  the  obligation  for  insurance 
in  all  mortgages  and  deeds  of  trust,  and  the  wisdom  of  de- 
manding it  on  all  buildings  and  personal  property  and  mer- 
chandise used  as  a  basis  for  loans  or  credits  from  banks,  or 
generally  in  commerce. 

Therefore,  in  principle  and  practice,  safe  insurance  and 
sound  credit  are  inseparable  in  solvent  commerce,  and  self- 
interest  as  well  as  this  principle  have  worked  to  make  the  use 
of  insurance  almost  universal. 

Insurance  abroad  is  practically  all  written  by  stock  com- 
panies, conducting  their  business  with  their  own  capital,  at 
their  own  risk  and  profit,  at  fixed  rates.  The  policies  there 
are  usually  for  ten  years,  and  by  virtue  of  this  long  term  and 
their  incorporation  in  mortgages  and  deeds  of  trust,  the  stock 

94 


companies  are  very  strongly  intrenched  and  no  other  system 
can  get  a  start.  In  the  United  States,  on  the  other  hand,  com- 
petitive insurance  is  obtainable  on  the  best  risks  (mills,  fac- 
tories, warehouses,  etc.)  from  the  stock  companies  (largely 
owned  abroad)  on  the  one  hand,  and  from  the  Factory  Mutual 
Fire  Insurance  Companies  (centered  in  New  England)  on  the 
other. 

The  latter  considered  first — as  the  simpler  organization — 
consists  of  about  twenty-five  companies  cooperating  through 
one  central  inspection  bureau,  which  confines  its  risks  to  such 
buildings  as  are  properly  built,  protected,  and  occupied,  so  as 
to  be  only  slightly  inflammable.  The  insured  pays  his  assessed 
rate  into  a  pool  and  recovers  annually  as  a  dividend  his  pro 
rata  surplus  over  the  payment  of  losses,  expenses,  and  a  small 
investment  fund;  hence  the  term  "mutual."  This  insurance 
has  spread  to  large  dimensions,  and  is  found  cheap,  careful, 
and  safe. 

To  meet  this  particular  class  of  competition,  prominent 
stock  companies  have  combined  into  factory  insurance  associa- 
tions which  insure  a  large  amount  of  like  property  at  a  com- 
paratively low  "flat"  rate. 

Stock  insurance  proper  cares  for  all  other  risks — such  as 
the  bulk  of  city  property;  mills  and  factories  of  construction, 
protection,  and  operation  below  the  standard  above  mentioned ; 
and  miscellaneous  country  property. 

On  all  these  last  mentioned  risks  higher  tariffs  are  usually 
charged,  representing  the  sum  of  hazards,  measured  by  items, 
constituting  the  final  rate.  The  officers,  agents,  and  brokers 
of  the  stock  companies  in  different  centers  constitute  survey, 
inspection,  and  rating  boards.  Rates  are  applied  to  individual 
properties  by  about  fifty  of  these  boards,  which  parcel  out  the 
entire  country. 

The  determination  of  rates  is  based  on  facts  discovered 
by  local  inspections  and  the  application  thereto  of  rules  based 
upon  the  engineering  and  commercial  data  and  experience  col- 
lected by  the  engineering  and  business  organizations  of  the 
insurance  business  (aided  by  a  technical  test  laboratory  con- 
ducted by  experts). 

It  may  now  be  seen  more  clearly  why  civic  and  commer- 
cial committees,  such  as  those  whose  agitations  are  most 
familiar,  cannot  well  secure  for  themselves  a  reduction  in  in- 
surance rates,  and  why  the  old  device  of  hammering  the  rate 
without  touching  the  cause  has  always  largely  failed,  and 
always  must  fail. 

It  is  not  a  sound  effort  in  that,  for  one  reason,  it  attacks 
the  effect  instead  of  the  cause,  and,  for  another,  it  attacks  an 
opponent  who  cannot  be  caught.  Either  the  committee  repre- 

95 


sents  a  trade  association,  spread  over  the  country  and  weak 
at  any  one  point  where  it  meets  the  local  insurance  rating 
power,  or  it  represents  any  one  community  attacking  one  local 
rating  board,  which  has  the  support  of  all  the  others. 

The  correct  course  is  not  to  attack  rates,  but  rather  to 
attack  the  causes  of  fire  loss  which  produce  those  rates.  First 
better  conditions,  and  then  let  the  rate  become  a  commercial 
question  of  barter  and  sale  between  the  business  interests  pur- 
chasing it  and  the  insurance  companies  selling  it.  If  insur- 
ance is  made  to  cost  less  it  must  in  time  inevitably  be  bought 
for  less.  In  this  field  the  engineering  associations  of  the  in- 
surance organization  are  already  operating.  They  have  been 
energetic,  careful  and  accurate  in  collecting  data  and  drawing 
conclusions  on  the  subjects  of  fire  prevention,  protection,  and 
occupancy;  but  in  practice  this  work  is  not  widely  enough 
known  or  heeded  to  make  it  nearly  as  effective  in  reducing 
fire  waste  as  might  now  be  the  case,  and  as  certainly  should 
be  the  condition  for  the  future. 

The  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  the  central 
organization  of  the  stock  insurance  interests  of  the  country, 
was  originally  the  highest  rate-making  board  in  the  organiza- 
tion ;  but  ofc  late  years  it  has  ceased  to  perform  the  rate-making 
function,  and  now  confines  its  activities  to  publicity  about  fire 
waste  and  related  matters;  to  promulgating  the  recommenda- 
tions of  the  National  Fire  Protection  Association  and  Under- 
writers Laboratories,  Inc.,  about  all  subjects  relating  to  the 
construction,  protection,  and  occupancy  of  buildings ;  and  to 
the  standardization  and  improvement  generally  of  fire  fighting 
methods  and  organizations  all  over  the  country. 

To  take  up  the  first  of  these:  The  National  Fire  Pro- 
tection Association,  No.  87  Milk  street,  Boston,  Mass.,  is  com- 
posed of  about  1 20  active  members,  comprising,  approximately, 
fifty  stock  insurance,  local  underwriting,  rating,  survey,  in- 
spection, and  engineering  boards  of  the  stock  organizations ; 
the  engineering  branch  of  the  mutual  insurance  organization ; 
and  a  number  of  non-insurance  trade  and  engineerig  bodies — 
of  such  character  as  the  American  Institute  of  Architects ; 
Electrical  Engineers ;  the  American  Waterworks  Association ; 
the  National  Association  of  Credit  Men,  -and  the  National 
Association  of  Manufacturers — in  fact,  all  associations  of  na- 
tional scope  that  may  be  interested  in  fire  prevention.1 

To  go  a  step  further:  The  Underwriters  Laboratories, 
Inc.,  No.  207  East  Ohio  street,  Chicago,  is  jointly  conducted 
by  the  engineering  branches  of  the  stock  and  mutual  insurance 

1AU  such  associations  can  join  as  active  members  at  fifteen  dollars  per  year, 
whereupon  the  component  members  of  such  active  members  can  become  associate 
members  of  the  N.  F.  P.  A.  at  five  dollars  yearly  and  receive  regularly  their 
technical  data  on  all  fire  prevention,  protection,  and  occupancy  matters. 

96 


organizations.  It  has  the  most  complete  laboratories  for  its 
purposes  in  the  world.  It  continuously  collects  and  system- 
atizes the  field  observations  of  the  army  of  insurance  inspec- 
tors traveling  over  the  country,  visiting  properties  and  fires 
occurring  therein,  this  data  comprising  the  widest  range  of 
actual  observed  experience  on  the  subject. 

It  further  conducts  continual  tests  of  materials,  equip- 
ments, and  methods  concerning  the  construction,  protection, 
and  occupancy  of  buildings — parallelling  in  these  tests  as 
nearly  as  possible  actual  working  conditions.  If  a  manufac- 
turer desires  to  place  a  new  device  on  the  market  he  must  first 
have  it  tested  and  approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories, 
and  this  approval  must  be  promulgated  by  the  National  Fire 
Protection  Association  and  published  by  the  National  Board 
of  Fire  Underwriters  before  it  can  be  used  in  any  building  in 
the  country  without  being  penalized  by  a  rise  in  insurance 
rates.  For  example,  approved  electric  cut-out  switches  for 
ordinary  lighting  service  remain  in  good  condition  after  having 
been  worked,  say,  100,000  times.  A  new  switch  presented  at 
the  Chicago  laboratories  is  coupled  to  a  continuously  operating 
machine  and  subjected  to  ordinary  wear  of  this  extent.  If  it 
falls  short  in  any  respect,  the  manufacturer  is  required  so  to 
perfect  it  as  either  to  equal  or  excel  existing  devices,  before  it 
can  be  put  on  the  market.  A  like  course  is  followed  with  a 
new  automatic  sprinkler  device,  a  new  acetylene  light  gen- 
erating apparatus,  or  a  new  method  of  storing  bulk  gasoline — 
with  the  result  that  the  standard  of  all  materials  entering  into 
the  construction  and  protection  of  buildings,  which  are  per- 
mitted to  be  used  without  penalization  through  a  rise  in  the 
insurance  rate,2  are  not  only  kept  up  to  a  known  degree  of 
excellence,  but  are  constantly  improving. 

Reference  has  several  times  been  made  to  the  terms,  con- 
struction, protection  and  occupancy  of  buildings.  These  con- 
stitute the  alpha  and  omega  of  fire  waste  control. 

CONSTRUCTION  covers  the  form  and  complete  specifica- 
tions of  the  building  itself  and  embraces  the  height  of  struc- 
ture, the  fire-control  areas,  the  elimination  of  concealed  spaces 
and  exposed  vertical  openings,  and  generally  of  avenues  for 
the  spread  of  flames  within  the  building;  the  character,  form, 
and  strength  of  materials,  the  elimination  of  such  as  are 
inflammable,  the  provision  of  fireproof  roofing  and  wire  glass 
in  safe  metal  frames;  and  generally  determines  all  details  of 
the  nature,  amount,  and  form  of  materials  that  will  endure 
for  the  use  intended  and  under  possible  heat  and  water 
exposure  caused  by  conflagration. 

3A11  approved  appliances  are  included  in  the  published  lists  of  the  National 
Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  and  most  of  them  can  be  identified  by  labels  attached 
to  them,  which  may  be  secured  by  agreement  from  the  Underwriters  Laboratories 
by  manufacturers  of  the  various  appliances. 

97 


Careful  investigation  by  the  United  States  Government, 
and  by  the  insurance  organizations,  of  the  Baltimore,  the 
San  Francisco,  and  the  Chelsea  conflagrations  prove  conclu- 
sively that  proper  buildings  can  now  be  erected  at  reasonable 
cost  in  any  city  for  any  purpose  and  yet  meet  all  the  necessary 
conditions  above  outlined.  Yet  owners  and  designers  who 
principally  control  the  matter,  are  not  on  the  average  suf- 
ficiently guided  by  these  considerations,  although  perfectly 
constructed  and  protected  buildings  can  now  be  erected  in 
concrete  for  from  twenty  cents  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
down  to  six  cents  in  country  towns,  per  cubic  foot. 

PROTECTION.'  Next  in  importance  to  the  nature  of  the 
building  itself,  for  limiting  successfully  comprises  the  risk  of 
fire  either  within  or  without,  comes  the  problem  of  equipping 
it  properly  to  give  the  alarm  and  to  extinguish  fire  if  it  occurs. 
The  automatic  sprinkler  is  the  most  important  of  these  agents 
and  an  absolute  essential  for  low  rate  insurance  for  buildings 
and  contents.  It  has  become  a  legal  requirement,  in  many 
states,  in  theaters,  and  other  buildings  for  large  assemblages, 
and  for  dangerous  parts  of  hotels ;  and  its  use  should  certainly 
become  obligatory  in  all  cellars  in  congested  city  areas,  and 
in  all  buildings,  including  those  used  for  offices,  of  height 
beyond  successful  control  of  fire  streams  from  the  ground. 
The  sprinkler  system  includes  its  own  water-supply  and  covers 
the  entire  interior  of  the  building — operating  without  human 
aid  at  the  time  and  point  of  fire  while  at  the  same  time 
sounding  an  alarm. 

A  special  form  of  sprinkler  is  also  employed  for  the 
exterior  protection  of  dangerously  exposed  buildings.  Next 
comes  the  Thermostat  (automatic  alarm)  system;  the  stand- 
pipe  (water-supply)  ;  and  Chemical  (liquid)  extinguisher. 

OCCUPANCY.  This  term  covers  two  subjects:  first,  the 
nature  of  any  business,  and  second,  the  manner  in  which  any 
business  is  conducted.  This  last  meaning  is  best  expressed 
by  the  term  "housekeeping"  as  applied  to  the  home  or  the 
factory.  It  covers  the  whole  rationale  of  thoughtful,  thrifty, 
and  cleanly  living  in  buildings  so  as  not  uselessly  to  cause 
fire.  For  example,  rubbish-filled  cellars,  halls,  and  adjacent 
yards  were,  according  to  former  Fire  Chief  Croker,  respon- 
sible for  3,000  out  of  12,000  fires  in  New  York  city  in  1909. 
Last  year  in  Chicago  1,000  fires  were  directly  traceable  to 
the  use  and  abuse  of  the  match.  Uncovered  lights  near  cur- 
tains are  a  cause  of  a  constant  series  of  fires,  easily  and 
cheaply  removable  by  means  of  wire  globes.  Defective  flues 
cause  thirteen  per  cent  of  all  fires  throughout  the  country, 
nearly  fifty  per  cent  of  the  fires  in  buildings  in  the  South 
arising  from  this  cause. 


•The  following  consideration  of  fire-protection  excludes  that  meaning  of  the 
term  which  comprises  the  fire-fighting  department  of  cities,  including  the  water- 
supply,  and  the  fire  engine  and  patrol  equipment  with  their  appropriate 
organization. 

98 


The  term  occupancy  includes  not  only  the  many  things 
one  should  not  do,  but  the  things  that  should  be  done,  such 
as  systematic  fire  drills  in  schools  and  factories,  which  will 
insure  that  in  the  outbreak  of  fire  and  the  ensuing  excitement 
a  quick  orderly  retreat  of  those  in  danger  can  be  effected. 

It  is  incumbent  upon  architects,  engineers,  and  building 
inspectors  all  over  the  country  thoroughly  to  educate  them- 
selves in  the  engineering  solution  of  these  problems  because 
of  the  general  reliance  placed  on  their  supposed  information 
on  and  attention  to  the  matter.  When  planning  or  repairing 
any  building,  or  installing  heating,  lighting,  cooking  appara- 
tus, or  lightning  rods,  send  an  inquiry  to  the  National  Fire 
Protection  Association,  No.  87  Milk  street,  Boston. 

Investors  in  new  buildings  should  require  of  their  archi- 
tects and  engineers,  before  contracts  are  let,  submission  of 
plans  for  criticism  and  suggestion,  both  as  to  the  details  of 
construction  and  protection,  to  the  National  Fire  Protection 
Association  or  one  of  its  active  members. 

Owners  and  tenants  of  old  buildings  should  invite  inspec- 
tions and  re-rating  by  the  local  insurance  bureau,  which  will 
disclose  the  various  danger  points  in  the  construction  and  pro- 
tection of  their  properties.  It  will  be  found,  in  a  large  pro- 
portion of  existing  buildings,  that  a  reasonable  expenditure  to 
eliminate  vertical  openings,  concealed  spaces,  unduly  large 
areas,  defective  lighting  and  heating  apparatus,  etc.,  will  pay 
for  itself  in  anywhere  from  one  to  five  years,  by  reduced  cost 
of  insurance  alone,  not  to  speak  of  the  reduced  risk  of  inter- 
ference with  business  and  reduced  danger  to  life.  Such  in- 
quiry concerning  large  buildings  or  groups  of  buildings  should 
invariably  be  addressed  to  both  the  mutual  and  stock  organiza- 
tions, and  cover  points  of  construction  and  protection,  if  the 
fullest  information  about  the  reduction  of  possible  risk  is  de- 
sired. 

In  general,  complete  data  on  all  these  points  are  obtain- 
able by  application  to  the  secretary  of  the  National  Fire  Pro- 
tection Association  in  Boston.  It  may  safely  be  stated  that 
these  facts  and  observations,  collected  and  analyzed  by  the 
above  described  machinery  for  many  years,  are  very  complete 
and  certain,  and  if  they  were  ascertained  and  employed  by 
owners,  engineers,  architects,  and  builders  generally  through 
the  country — for  the  improvement  of  existing  buildings  and 
the  construction  of  new  ones, — there  would  undoubtedly  fol- 
low a  gradual  and  continuous  reduction  in  fire  waste. 

As  this  course  is  not  voluntarily  pursued  by  all  concerned, 
it  Becomes  the  duty  of  the  several  states,  and  of  the  munici- 
palities within  these  states,  through  the  medium  of  fire  marshal 
laws  and  municipal  ordinances  and  inspections,  to  enforce  the 

99 


betterment  of  fire  waste  conditions  by  compulsion.  The  sev- 
eral states,  and  further  their  municipalities,  should  adopt  and 
firmly  enforce  from  this  time  on  minimum  requirements  cov- 
ering the  construction  and  protection  of  new  buildings,  the 
improvement  and  protection  of  old  ones,  and  the  occupancy  of 
all. 

Let  me  enlarge,  therefore,  upon  the  public's  relation  to 
fire  waste  and  its  control. 

The  manner  of  safely  constructing,  protecting,  and  occu- 
pying almost  every  character  of  building  everywhere  is  surely 
known,  and  in  detail.  The  trouble  is  that  this  knowledge  is 
not  widely  enough  spread — even  by  those  charged  with  such 
knowledge — such  as  architects  and  engineers,  and  that  it  is 
shamefully  neglected  for  every  sort  of  reason  by  many  who 
possess  it. 

These  remarks  justly  apply  to  the  owners  and  occupants 
of  the  average  building ;  to  the  architect  and  engineer  who  de- 
sign buildings;  to  the  builders  who  erect  them;  to  the  insur- 
ance manager,  agent,  and  broker  supposed  to  scrutinize  them ; 
to  the  municipal  officials  supposed  to  inspect  and  safeguard 
them ;  and  to  the  state  officials  over  them  all. 

The  continued  ignorance  and  indifference,  or  worse,  of 
building  owners,  occupants,  designers,  constructors,  and  in- 
spectors does  not  make  for  any  higher  standard  for  fire  pre- 
ventive and  protective  methods,  and  there  are  no  widespread 
and  effective  mandatory  laws  limiting  the  evil;  hence  the  fire 
waste  continues  not  only  at  the  present  rate  but  at  a  rising 
one. 

The  insurance  interests  considered  in  their  entirety  have 
limited  public  influence ;  no  power  other  than  imposing  a  high 
rate ;  and  are  in  a  measure,  -because  of  their  own  commercial 
interest,  indifferent  to  present  fire  waste.  It  would  appear  to 
the  layman  at  first  glance  that  less  fire  waste  would  be  wel- 
come to  the  insurance  business,  yet  the  insurance  influence  by 
and  large  is  far  from  making  a  united  effort  to  reduce  it.  So 
long  as  an  insurance  company  does  not  have  to  pay  out  more 
than  fifty  per  cent,  of  its  premiums  for  fire  loss,  the  unit  profit 
is  good.  Therefore  one-half  of  a  high  rate  nets  a  greater 
final  profit  than  the  same  proportion  of  a  low  one.  Hence  the 
automatic  yard-stick  rate-schedule  which  companies  apply  to 
any  property,  which  totals  up  the  final  rate  in  each  case — 
having  regard  to  the  building,  contents,  and  location  (expos- 
ure hazard).  This  might  result  in  a  premium  as  low  as  ten 
cents  on  new  mills,  and  stores  (not  contents)  ;  or  as  high  as 
ten  dollars  per  one  hundred  dollars  on  Southern  woodworking 
mills.  Many  insurance  managers  actually  prefer  the  higher 
rate  and  risk  as  making  higher  possible  earnings  for  the  com- 

100 


pany  and  permitting  a  higher  absolute  payment  to  the  broker, 
thus  enabling  the  manager  to  produce  a  larger  net  annual 
profit,  and  to  interest  and  hold  a  better  line  of  brokers  through 
whom  to  distribute  his  contracts  of  insurance. 

The  broker,  who  gets  from  ten  per  cent,  to  thirty  per  cent, 
of  the  premium,  objects  even  less  to  the  higher  rate — although, 
as  we  have  seen,  it  inevitably  means  higher  risk  and  more 
chance  of  fire,  and  in  fact  more  fire  waste ;  so  the  destruction 
continues. 

The  average  municipal  building  code  throughout  the 
country  is  obsolete,  and  even  so  is  unequally  and  imperfectly 
enforced.  A  few  years  ago  I  collected  copies  of  the  building 
codes  of  most  of  our  cities.  They  constitute  a  mass  of  disor- 
dered, undigested,  and  conflicting  rules.  In  the  matter  of  fire 
danger  there  is  little  difference,  except  in  magnitude  and  con- 
gestion, among  most  of  our  cities,  and  for  cities  of  a  given 
size  a  uniform  building  law  should  be  adopted  and  enforced. 

Questions  of  altitude,  latitude,  longitude,  local  policies,  or 
conditions  of  any  sort  do  not  enter  in,  save  only  as  to  size, 
character  and  density  of  buildings.  The  United  States  gov- 
ernment could  and  should  investigate  authoritatively  a  proper 
building  code  for  adoption  by  municipalities  all  over  the  coun- 
try, elastic  enough  to  be  applicable  to  every  sized  city  and 
town.  There  is  neither  present  machinery,  appropriation,  nor 
constitutional  authority  for  the  federal  government  to  impose 
such  a  code  on  the  country ;  but  it  could  study,  and  formulate, 
and  impose  a  code  on  the  city  of  Washington,  which  would  be 
its  authoritative  conclusion  on  this  subject  broadly  enough  con- 
sidered for  national  use.  All  persons  and  interests  favoring 
a  reduction  of  the  fire  waste  in  the  country  should  exert  their 
influence  upon  the  national  government  to  this  practical  end. 
The  several  state  governments  could  then  be  influenced  to 
adopt  this  national  municipal  building  code,  and  as  far  as  pos- 
sible influence  its  adoption  in  turn  by  the  municipalities  within 
their  borders — a  perfectly  legal,  practical,  and  reasonable 
method  of  bringing  into  being  a  uniform  municipal  building 
code  all  over  the  country. 

The  enforcement  of  the  building  code  in  any  city  is 
usually  accomplished  through  the  medium  of  the  permit  and 
inspection  bureaus,  and  in  many  of  our  cities  these  are  under 
cover  and  not  free  to  the  observation  of  the  average  citizen. 
Here  is  where  graft  may  enter.  The  law  itself  may  be  good 
(and  an  attempt  is  usually  made  to  concede  this  to  the  public 
because  he  who  runs  may  read  it)  but  if  that  law  is  not  hon- 
estly and  actively  applied  and  enforced  what  good  result  can 
come  from  it?  It  is  necessary  that  the  individual  taxpayer 
shall  have  the  right  to  know  that  these  permits  and  inspections 

101 


are  honestly  and  efficiently  handled.  If  any  man  wishes  to 
know  whether  his  neighbor's  cellar  is  cluttered  with  refuse, 
the  contents  a  fire-trap  constantly  menacing  his  life,  property, 
and  business;  or  whether  it  holds  stores  of  spirits  or  benzine 
or  gunpowder  in  defiance  of  the  law  against  such  acts — let 
any  one  try  to  find  out  the  truth  in  some  particular  instance — 
he  will  find  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  get  at  such  facts 
under  current  laws  and  ordinances. 

Few  know  the  risk  in  our  cities  to-day  of  some  Tarrant 
explosion,  because  some  individual  is  permitted  by  carelessness 
or  worse,  and  in  secret  for  his  own  self-interests,  to  follow  the 
dangerous  course  of  storing  explosives  within  thickly  popu- 
lated areas.  Such  instances  as  the  Slocum  disaster  in  New 
York  harbor;  the  Iroquois  Theater  fire  in  Chicago;  the  Boy- 
ertown,  Pa.,  theater  holocaust ;  the  Collinwood,  O.,  school  hor- 
ror; the  Newark  factory  fire  of  November  26,  1910,  where 
twenty-six  were  killed,  and  the  Washington  Place  disaster  in 
New  York  where  145  were  killed;  and  numberless  fatal  fires 
in  factories,  hotels,  stores,  residences,  and  every  sort  of  place 
of  assemblage  should  make  all  citizens  realize  how  constant  is 
the  life  danger  from  present  fire  loss  conditions  to  themselves 
and  their  families,  apart  from  and  above  the  money  loss  in- 
volved. 

Proper  regulations  may  not  exist,  may  not  be  applied  or 
enforced;  and  all  three  or  any  one  of  these  loopholes  consti- 
tute a  great  and  ever-present  danger  everywhere. 

The  average  American  state  has  no  machinery  whatever 
at  work  on  the  subject.  The  situation  is  one  of  the  unsolved 
anomalies  of  American  life — that  a  nation  of  such  keen  and 
educated  individuals  should  be  so  thriftless  in  so  important  a 
matter  —  fully  known,  generally  burdensome  and  deplored, 
solved  in  principle,  yet  wantonly  neglected  in  practice. 

Under  these  actual  conditions,  unless  and  until  the  more 
intelligent  and  enlightened  element  of  the  public  in  the  several 
states  formulates,  proposes,  and  insists  successfully  upon  the 
enactment  of  restrictive  laws  on  this  subject,  the  fire  waste  of 
life  and  property  in  the  United  States  will  continue. 

State  fire  prevention  laws  are  and  have  been  for  some 
years  in  highly  beneficial  operation  in  some  states,  and  their 
scope  and  results  are  clear.  Witness  the  effect  of  the  law  in 
Ohio,  where  in  six  years  fire  waste  has  dropped  from  approxi- 
mately $11,000,000  to  below  $7,000,000,  with  like  reduced  life 
loss  and  arson,  and  with  greatly  reduced  insurance  cost — all 
with  insured  values  doubled.  Wisconsin  has  had  like  expe- 
rience during  the  past  three  years. 

Such  legislation  should  cover  the  following  main  consid- 
erations : 

102 


1.  Insurance    should   be    stable,   as   the   average   policy- 
holder  is  ignorant  about  the  credit  of  the  insuring  company 
and    assumes   its   soundness;    hence    the    state   should   rigidly 
inspect  and  regulate  the  financial  reliability  of  any  insurance 
companies  allowed  to  issue  policies. 

2.  Insurance  should  be  written   by   a  simple  and  sound 
contract — uniform  among  the  several  states  as  far  as  possible 
— to   protect    the    small   policyholder   who    is    not    sufficiently 
informed  to  protect  himself  and  not  sufficiently  protected  by 
insurance  companies,  agents  and  brokers. 

3.  Insurance  should  only  issue  honestly  and  intelligently 
on  any  property,  hence  the  broker   and  agent  should  be  ex- 
amined   and    licensed   by   the    state    as   to    responsibility    and 
capacity. 

The  above  three  points  cover  the  minimum  requirements 
of  a  legal  and  financial  character. 

4.  As    property    owners    generally   have    not    been    suf- 
ficiently controlled  by  their  own  best  interests,  or  the  interest 
of  the  common  welfare,  to  use  known  means  to  correct  fire 
waste  conditions,  the  state  can  no  longer  decline  or  neglect 
to  protect    its    citizens   against   fire    arising   from   improperly 
constructed,  protected,  or  occupied  buildings. 

This  end  can  best  be  attained  through  the  operation  of  a 
good  fire  marshal  law  whereby  central  authority  and  responsi- 
bility can  firmly  control  the  problem  in  each  state.  The  sub- 
stance of  the  state  fire  marshal  and  related  acts  introduced  this 
year  in  the  Pennsylvania  legislature  is  given  in  the  following 
columns.  Laws  of  like  tenor  are  now  also  before  the  New 
York  Legislature.  Their  provisions,  reasonably  modified  for 
each  state  to  conform  with  its  local  and  constitutional  condi- 
tions, would  together  with  a  sound  building  code  provide  effec- 
tive control  of  this  matter  for  any  state  or  city — provided  such 
regulations  were  diligently  administered  by  a  competent  and 
faithful  personnel.  To  this  end  the  publicity  provided  in  these 
acts  is  of  the  greatest  importance  as  giving  the  public  oppor- 
tunity to  watch  the  equal  and  faithful  enforcement  of  the  law. 

The  Pennsylvania  bills,  as  introduced  incorporated  the 
best  provisions  found  in  laws  which  have  been  operating  in 
several  states  for  some  years,  together  with  important  sugges- 
tions brought  out  in  the  investigation  of  the  subject  conducted 
in  the  past  year  by  the  New  York  Legislative  Investigating 
Committee,  and  also  certain  further  proposals  which  to  the 
writer's  mind  will  make  the  measures  more  effective  in  prac- 
tical operation.  I  am  not  one  of  those  who  believe  in  more 
law — less,  if  anything,  is  needed — but  surely  none  can  object 
to  replacing  obsolete  and  inadequate  laws  which  have  accumu- 
lated for  years  with  simple,  modern,  and  effective  statutes. 

103 


The  fire  marshal's  act  would 

Establish  the  office  of  state  fire  marshal,  give  courts 
the  power  to  punish  witnesses' for  contempt  of  his  authority 
and  to  review  his  orders,  and  make  it  the  duty  of  officers  of 
public  instruction  and  persons  in  charge  of  public  or  private 
schools  to  instruct  children  as  to  the  dangers  of  fire  and  the 
prevention  of  fire  waste. 

The  fire  marshal  is  to  be  appointed  by  the  governor  for 
a  term  of  four  years ;  he  shall  give  his  entire  time  to  the  work 
at  a  salary  of  $5,000;  shall  in  turn  appoint  a  chief  assistant 
fire  marshal  at  $4,000,  and  two  deputies  at  $3,000  each,  which 
with  clerical  assistance  would  provide  a  central  organization 
which  in  number  and  remuneration  are  reasonable  when  the 
area  of  the  state  is  considered.  The  Journal  of  Commerce 
and  Commercial  Bulletin,  New  York,  in  an  editorial  on  Fire 
Prevention  in  the  issue  of  Wednesday,  March  29,  comments 
on  the  Washington  place  (Asch  building),  New  York,  fire  of 
recent  date,  and  lays  clear  and  pronounced  emphasis  on  the 
bad  feature  of  discentralized  fire  control  in  the  existing  or- 
ganization of  the  New  York  city  government.  This  mistake 
should  not  be  allowed  at  this  time  in  any  state  or  city.  The 
fire  marshal  should  have  the  same  concentrated  control  over 
buildings  existent  and  future  as  regards  fire  danger,  as  the 
health  department  now  has  as  regards  sanitation ;  and  the  plan 
is  equally  practicable  and  workable. 

For  quite  as  important  as  centralization  of  authority  is 
the  adequacy  of  assistance  to  the  headquarters  staff,  so  that 
the  whole  area  can  be  covered  promptly.  Authorities  all  over 
the  country  agree  that  firemen,  active  and  retired,  should,  as 
far  as  possible,  inspect  the  properties  they  protect,  both  to 
know  them  in  case  of  fire  and  to  prevent  in  advance  conditions 
which  lead  to  fire.  The  Pennsylvania  statute  would  make 
them  assistants  to  the  state  fire  marshal  to  this  end,  limiting 
their  work,  however,  to  such  as  may  reasonably  accord,  in  the 
mind  of  the  state  fire  marshal,  with  their  pre-existing  public 
duties.  As  firemen  cannot  cover  all  the  inspection  work,  the 
fire  marshal  should  be  empowered  to  charge  city  and  state 
building  and  factory  inspectors  with  watching  the  fire  hazards 
as  his  assistants.  These  powers  are  set  forth  in  the  section 
following : 

Section  3.  All  fire  marshals  in  any  county,  city,  borough, 
township,  school  district,  or  other  municipality  or  incor- 
porated district  having  such  officers,  or  where  no  such  officer 
exists,  the  chief  of  the  fire  department  thereof,  where  such 
fire  department  is  established,  or  where  no  such  fire  depart- 
ment exists  the  chief  executive  officer  of  such  county,  city, 
borough,  township,  school  district,  or  other  municipality  or 

104 


incorporated  district,  together  with  all  building  permit  and 
inspection  officers  or  deputies  or  assistants  thereof,  and  all 
factory  inspectors  or  deputies  or  assistants  appointed  under 
any  law  of  the  commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  shall  be  by 
virtue  of  such  office  held  by  them  assistants  to  the  state  fire 
marshal,  and  subject  to  the  duties  and  obligations  imposed  by 
this  act,  and  subject  to  the  directions  of  the  state  fire  marshal 
in  the  execution  of  the  provisions  hereof.  The  state  fire 
marshall  may  also  appoint  individual  citizens  as  assistants* 
who  shall  be  subject  to  the  duties  and  obligations  aforesaid 
and  to  the  directions  of  the  state  fire  marshal.  Immediately 
upon  taking  office  the  state  fire  marshal  shall  prepare  instruc- 
tions to  the  assistant  fire  marshals,  and  forms  for  their  use 
in  the  reports  required  by  this  act,  and  shall  cause  them  to 
be  printed  and  sent  together  with  a  copy  of  this  law  to  each 
such  officer  in  the  commonwealth. 

The  duties  of  these  assistants  are  set  forth  as  follows — in 
•terms  substantially  as  adopted  in  the  proposed  New  York  act 
and  as  they  have  tended,  under  the  state  fire  marshal  systems 
of  Ohio  and  Wisconsin,  materially  to  reduce  arson. 

The  assistants  of  the  state  fire  marshall  shall  investigate 
the  cause,  origin,  and  circumstances  of  every  fire  occurring 
in  this  state,  by  which  life  or  property  has  been  destroyed, 
damaged,  or  endangered,  and  so  far  as  possible  shall  determine 
whether  the  fire  was  the  result  of  design  or  carelessness.  Such 
investigation  shall  be  begun  immediately  upon  the  occurrence 
of  the  fire  by  the  assistant  in  whose  territory  it  has  occurred, 
and  if  it  appears  to  the  assistant  making  such  investigation 
to  be  of  suspicious  origin,  the  state  fire  marshall  shall  be 
immediately  notified  of  such  fact.  Every  fire  occurring  in 
this  state  shall  be  reported  in  writing  to  the  state  fire  marshal 
within  ten  days  after  its  occurrence,  by  the  assistant  in  whose 
jurisdiction  it  occurred.  Such  report  shall  be  in  the  form  pre- 
scribed by  the  state  fire  marshal,  and  shall  contain  a  statement 
of  all  facts  relating  to  the  cause  and  origin  of  such  fire  that 
can  be  ascertained,  the  extent  of  damage  thereof,  the  insurance 
upon  the  property  injured  or  destroyed,  and  such  other  inform- 
ation as  may  be  required. 

The  crux  of  important  powers  of  inspection,  obtaining 
evidence,  and  ordering  changes  in  the  direction  of  prevent- 
ing fires  are  to  be  found  in  the  following  sections: 

Section  5.  The  state  fire  marshal,  his  deputies  or  assist- 
ants, upon  the  complaint  of  any  person,  or  whenever  he  or 
they  shall  deem  it  necessary,  shall  inspect  the  building  and 
premises  within  their  jurisdiction. 

Whenever  any  of  said  officers  shall  find  any  building  or 
structure  which,  for  want  of  repairs  or  by  reason  of  age  or 

4Fees    of    fifty  cents    for    each   fire   reported,    and    forty-three    for    each    day's 
service,  are  provided  for  assistants  not  receiving  salaries  for  public  duties. 

105 


dilapidated  condition,  or  for  any  other  cause  is  especially  liable 
to  fire,  and  so  situated  as  to  endanger  other  property,  he  or 
they  shall  order  the  same  to  be  removed  or  remedied,  if  the 
same  is  reasonably  practicable,  thereby  lessening  the  danger 
from  fire. 

Whenever  such  officer  ^  shall  find  in  any  building  com- 
bustible or  explosive  matter"  or  inflammable  conditions  which 
are  in  violation  of  any  law  or  ordinance  applicable  thereto, 
or  are  dangerous  to  the  safety  of  such  buildings,  thereby 
endangering  other  property,  he  or  they  shall  order  the  same 
to  be  removed  or  remedied,  and  such  order  shall  forthwith 
be  complied  with  by  the  owner  or  occupant  of  such  premises 
or  building. 

If  such  order  is  made  by  a  deputy  or  assistant  of  the 
state  fire  marshal,  such  owner  or  occupant  may  within  five 
days  appeal  to  the  state  fire  marshal,  who  shall  within  ten 
days  review  such  order  and  file  his  decision  thereon,  and, 
unless  by  his  authority  the  order  is  revoked  or  modified,  it 
shall  remain  in  full  force  and  be  obeyed  by  such  owner  or, 
occupant : 

Provided,  however,  that  any  such  owner  or  occupant  who 
feels  himself  aggrieved  by  such  order  may,  within  five  days 
after  the  same  has  been  affirmed  by  the  state  fire  marshal,  file 
his  petition  with  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  the  proper 
county,  praying  a  review  of  such  order  and  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  the  court  to  hear  the  same  at  the  first  convenient  day, 
and  to  make  such  order  in  the  premises  as  right  and  justice 
may  require. 

Any  owner  or  occupant  failing  to  comply  with  such  order 
within  ten  days  after  said  appeal  shall  have  been  determined, 
or,  if  no  appeal  is  taken,  then  within  twenty  days  after  the 
service  of  the  said  order,  shall  be  liable  to  a  penalty  of  twenty- 
five  dollars  for  each  day's  neglect  thereafter.  The  service  of 
any  such  order  shall  be  made  upon  the  occupant  of  the  prem- 
ises to  whom  it  is  directed  by  either  delivering  a  true  copy 
of  same  to  such  occupant  personally  or  by  delivering  the  same 
to  and  leaving  it  with  any  person  in  charge  of  the  premises, 
or  in  case  no  such  person  is  found  upon  the  premises  by  affix- 
ing a  copy  thereof  in  a  conspicuous  place  on  the  door  to  the 
entrance  of  the  said  premises;  whenever  it  may  be  necessary 
to  serve  such  an  order  upon  the  owner  of  premises,  such  order 
may  be  served  either  by  delivering  to  and  leaving  with  the 
said  person  a  true  copy  of  the  said  order,  or,  if  such  owner  is 
absent  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the  officer  making  the  order, 
by  mailing  such  copy  to  the  owner's  last  known  post-office 
address.  The  penalties  herein  provided  may  be  recovered  as 
debts  are  by  law  collectible  in  any  courts  having  jurisdiction 
of  the  parties.  Such  action  shall  be  brought  in  the  name  of 
the  commonwealth,  under  the  direction  of  the  state  fire  mar- 
shal or  any  of  his  deputies  or  assistants,  by  the  attorney  general 
or  by  any  district  attorney  or  legally  constituted  law  officer 
of  any  county,  city,  borough,  township,  or  other  municipality. 

106 


who  may  be  designated  by  the  attorney  general,  or  at  the 
option  of  the  attorney  general  he  may  designate  any  attorney 
to  bring  such  action. 

Section  6.  The  state  fire  marshal  or  his  deputies,  in 
addition  to  the  investigation  made  by  any  of  the  assistants, 
may  at  any  time  investigate  the  origin  or  circumstances  of 
any  fire  occurring  in  this  commonwealth.  The  state  fire  mar- 
shal, his  deputies  and  assistants,  shall  have  the  power  to  sum- 
mon witnesses  and  compel  them  to  attend  before  them,  or 
either  of  them,  and  to  testify  in  relation  to  any  matter  which 
is  by  the  provisions  of  this  act  a  subject  of  inquiry  and  inves- 
tigation, and  may  require  the  production  of  any  books,  papers, 
or  documents  deemed  pertinent  or  necessary  to  the  inquiry, 
and  shall  have  the  power  to  administer  oaths  and  affirmations 
to  any  person  appearing  as  a  witness  before  them;  such  ex- 
amination may  be  public  or  private  as  the  officers  conducting 
the  investigation  may  determine.  (Here  follow  the  usual 
powers  to  compel  evidence  and  the  usual  powers  to  punish 
recalcitrant  witnesses  in  accord  with  Pennsylvania  practise.) 

The  state  fire  marshal  or  his  deputies  or  his  assistants 
may  at  all  reasonable  hours  enter  any  building  or  premises 
within  his  or  their  jurisdiction  for  the  purpose  of  making  an 
inspection  which,  under  the  provisions  of  this  act,  he  or  they 
may  deem  necessary  to  be  made. 

Of  even  larger  educational  importance  in  the  long  run 
are  three  sections  which  would  provide  for  a  permanent 
system  of  keeping  records,  now  practically  non-existent  or 
unobtainable;  for  semi-annual  reports  by  property  owners, 
automatically  rendered  in  paying  taxes;  and  for  an  edu- 
cational scheme  for  the  public  schools,  in  line  with  the 
well  known  Reed  law  of  Ohio.  The  sections  follow: — 

Section  8.  The  state  fire  marshal  shall  keep  in  his  office 
all  records  which  may  be  sent  him  in  accordance  with  law, 
relative  to  the  physical  condition  of  buildings,  whether  the 
laws  and  ordinances  have  been  complied  with  so  far  as  the 
same  relate  to  fire  protection,  records  of  application  for  fire 
insurance  upon  any  buildings  or  other  information  relating 
thereto,  which  may  be  sent  him  in  compliance  with  law,  and 
shall  also  keep  a  record  of  all  fires  occurring  in  this  state  and 
of  all  the  facts  concerning  the  same,  including  statistics  as 
to  the  extent  of  such  fires  and  the  damage  caused  thereby, 
and  whether  such  losses  were  covered  by  insurance,  and,  if  so, 
in  what  amount.  Such  records  shall  be  made  daily  from  the 
reports  made  to  him  by  his  assistants  under  the  provisions  of 
this  act.  All  such  records  shall  be  public  except  that  any  tes- 
timony taken  in  investigations  under  the  provisions  of  this 
act  may  be  withheld  from  the  public  in  the  discretion  of  the 
state  fire  marshal. 

Section  9.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  state  fire  marshal 
to  prepare  blank  forms  for  the  furnishing  of  information  by 

107 


owners  or  occupants  of  buildings  throughout  the  common- 
.wealth  of  the  condition  of  such  buildings  with  regard  to  fire 
protection.  The  said  blanks  shall  contain  notice  to  such  prop- 
erty owners  or  occupiers  of  proper  rules  and  regulations  to 
minimize  the  danger  of  fire  and  to  suppress  fire  waste,  and 
shall  contain  certain  questions  requesting  information  of  a 
definite  character  to  show  the  condition  of  the  buildings  as 
aforesaid.  These  blank  forms  shall  be  furnished  by  the  fire 
marshal  to  officers  whose  duty  it  is  to  receipt  for  taxes  on 
real  property  in  every  part  of  the  commonwealth,  to  be  given 
by  them  to  property  owners,  together  with  their  tax  bills 
(two  forms  for  each  property),  with  the  requirements  that 
one  properly  filled  out  be  forwarded  to  the  state  fire  marshal 
at  once  for  filing  among  the  records  of  his  office,  and  that  the 
other  be  so  forwarded  six  months  thereafter. 

Section  10.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  fire  marshal  to 
prepare  in  consultation  with  the  superintendent  of  public 
instruction  books  of  instruction  for  use  in  the  public  and 
private  schools  of  students  of  all  grades  with  regard  to  the 
dangers  of  fire  and  the  prevention  of  fire  waste.  It  shall  be 
the  duty  of  the  superintendent  of  public  instruction  and  of  the 
principals  or  other  persons  in  charge  of  the  various  schools 
in  this  commonwealth  to  provide  for  the  instruction  and  train- 
ing of  pupils  of  such  schools  by  means  of  drills,  so  that  they 
may  in  sudden  emergencies  be  able  to  leave  the  school  build- 
ings in  the  shortest  possible  time  without  confusion  or  panic. 
Such  drills  shall  be  held  at  least  once  a  month  when  the 
schools  are  in  session.  Books  of  instruction  with  regard  to 
the  dangers  of  fire  and  the  prevention  of  fire  waste  as  above 
specified  shall  be  published  at  the  expense  of  the  state  under  the 
direction  of  the  superintendent  of  public  instruction,  and  shall 
be  distributed  in  sufficient  quantities  for  the  use  of  the  schools 
as  herein  provided,  and  the  curriculum  of  such  schools  shall 
include  some  regular  and  continuous  study  of  such  subjects 
during  the  entire  school  year. 

Other  sections  would  provide  for  an  annual  report  by 
the  fire  marshal,  for  the  preparation  before  the  next  session 
of  the  legislature  of  a  "standard  fire  insurance  policy"  (most 
important  to  assure  property  owners  a  sound  and  simple 
insurance  compact),  and  a  standard  building  code  for  adop- 
tion by  municipalities.  The  American  Bar  Association  has 
through  its  committee  on  insurance  law  and  its  allied  com- 
mission on  uniform  laws  emphatically  urged  uniform 
legislation  on  this  entire  subject. 

A  companion  act  would  provide  support  for  the  fire 
marshal's  office  (estimated  at  $60,000  annually)  by  taxing 
the  gross  receipts  of  fire  insurance  companies  one-fourth  of 
one  per  cent  on  business  done  within  the  commonwealth. 
This  is  the  Nebraska  rate;  the  Ohio  rate  is  one-half  of 
one  per  cent.  As  the  fire  marshal  reduces  fire  waste,  the 

108 


fire  loss  will  decrease,  which  will  first  produce  an  important 
saving  in  the  insurance  payments  for  this  loss;  and  this 
saving  will  be  so  great  compared  with  this  tax,  and  will 
come  so  directly  from  the  control  of  the  fire  marshal  organi- 
zation, that  the  burden  of  its  maintenance  should  rest 
primarily  on  the  underwriting  business.  A  further  supple- 
mentary act  would  require  the  insurance  organizations  to 
report  annually  to  the  state  fire  marshal  the  total  amounts 
they  have  at  risk:  more  important,  it  would  require  every 
association  or  rate-making  bureau  to  supply  the  state  on 
request  with  reasonable  data  in  its  possession  as  to  the 
physical  condition  of  properties  in  the  state.  The  unincor- 
porated insurance  bureaus  possess  practically  all  the  physi- 
cal data  about  buildings  in  the  state  and  the  application  to 
these  of  the  insurance  schedule  ratings  (25,000  properties 
are  listed  in  Philadelphia  alone).  These  data  are  the  accum- 
ulation of  years.  This  cost  has  been  included  in  the  expense 
of  administration  of  the  insurance  business.  This  expense 
has  been  an  item  in  the  determination  of  insurance  pre- 
miums which  have  been  collected  from  the  public.  Hence 
these  data  belong  to  the  public,  and  hence  to  the  state; 
hence  the  state  fire  marshal  should  be  entitled  to  these 
data  to  guide  his  office  in  decisions  about  properties  in 
detail.  The  insurance  companies  do  not  appear  to  object 
to  this  regulation.  Any  movement  actually  to  better  fire 
waste  must  start  at  the  property,  which  means  the  procural 
of  a  volume  of  data  about  property  all  over  the  state  in 
detail. 

Finally,  we  have  offered  an  amendment  to  the  present 
insurance  law  providing  for  the  licensing  of  insurance 
brokers  and  agents.  Students  of  fire  loss,  and  of  insurance 
as  related  thereto,  recognize  two  powerful  influences  at 
work  adverse  to  the  reduction  of  fire  waste.  As  already 
noted  much  insurance  is  written  on  the  broad  idea  that 
property  is  taken  as  found  and  assessed  at  a  rate  measured 
by  the  existing  hazard.  This  means  higher  insurance,  but 
so  long  as  half  of  this  premium  is  saved  the  total  net 
revenue  to  the  underwriter  is  better  than  if  the  property 
were  improved  and  lower  priced  insurance  were  written. 
The  underwriter,  however,  is  always  so  deeply  interested 
in  the  solvency  of  his  company  as  necessarily  to  control 
fire  waste  in  as  large  measure  as  possible.  The  broker  on 
the  other  hand,  whose  income  is  derived  from  the  com- 
missions from  the  premiums  written,  woiUd  naturally,  in 
principle,  prefer  high  rates  (which  means  high  fire  hazard) 
with  less  regard  to  the  solvency  of  the  company  than  the 

109 


underwriter  on  the  one  hand,  or  the  destruction  of  the 
property  by  fire  than  the  owner  on  the  other. 

It  is  therefore  imperative  that  the  state  should  care- 
fully license  the  distributors  of  insurance  policies  to  prop- 
erty owners,  and  should  assure  that  only  reputable  and 
competent  individuals  are  authorized  to  conduct  such  busi- 
ness. As  preliminary  to  a  license,  a  broker  must  pass 
an  examination  prepared  by  the  state  fire  marshall  and 
insurance  commissioner,  and  give  satisfactory  evidence  as 
to  his  moral  character.  Brokers  shall  be  deemed  to  be 
agents  of  the  insured  for  purposes  of  procuring  insurance, 
and  agents  of  the  company  for  purposes  of  collecting 
premiums.  Payments  of  premiums  to  brokers  shall  be 
deemed  and  held  as  payments  to  the  company. 

Outside  these  insurance  reforms,  and  the  provisions 
centralizing  responsibility  for  knowledge  of  fire  conditions 
in  a  state  office  to  which  would  be  given  important  powers 
of  prevention,  and  which  would  provide  for  widespread 
educational  measures,  it  will  be  noted  that  these  Pennsyl- 
vania bills  would  enable  volunteers  to  offer  their  services 
and  become  effective  workers  in  the  effort  to  reduce  fire 
waste. 

Every  man  and  woman  in  the  country  should  be  an 
ally  of  this  movement;  should  become  posted  about  the 
facts  in  the  case ;  should  have  under  law  authority  to  report 
any  dangerous  or  illegal  conditions  noted  in  any  building, 
anywhere  and  at  any  time,  to  the  proper  authorities;  and 
should  be  able  to  require  prompt,  effective,  and  reasonable 
correction — just  as  agents  and  members  of  the  Society  for 
Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  can  now  inquire  into  and 
resist  on  the  spot  abuses  of  that  nature. 

This  article  was  written  during  the  session  of  the  Pennsylvania  legislature 
just  closed.  Mr.  Evans  is  in  Europe.  The  fire  marshal  bill  became  a  law  prac- 
tically as  proposed  and  embodies  in  a  general  way  all  of  Mr.  Evans'  suggestions. 
The  companion  act  providing  for  a  revenue  by  taxing  insurance  companies  failed 
of  passage  and  no  substitute  measure  was  adopted,  so  that  the  cost  of  the  hre 
marshal's  office  will  have  to  be  met  by  the  general  state  revenues.  The  amend- 
ment offered  providing  for  the  licensing  of  insurance  brokers  and  agents  did  not 
pass.  In  the  form  in  which  they  were  introduced,  the  bills  presented  a  rounded 
program  of  legislation. 

The  New  York  Legislature  also  has  passed  a  state  fire  marshall's  bill  and,  as 
this  issue  goes  to  press,  it  is  awaiting  the  Governor's  signature.  This  bill  does 
not  apply  to  New  York  City,  where  the  fire  prevention  problem  will  be  handled, 
if  any  one  of  three  measures  passes,  by  a  Bureau  of  Fire  Prevention,  to  be  estab- 
lished in  the  Fire  Department. — Ed. 

The  final  duty  of  the  average  householder  throughout 
the  land  before  retiring  to  rest  is  to  look  at  the  fire  or 
furnace  in  his  house.  The  fact  that  this  danger  is  so  ever 
present  tends  in  itself  to  limit  opposition  to  it,  because 
the  fear  of  it  is  a  habit  and  in  a  measure  subconscious ; 
but  the  moral  support  of  the  country,  which  is  the  basis  of 

no 


every  great  movement,  could  beyond  question  to  my  mind 
be  rapidly  and  effectively  organized  to  oppose  present  fire 
waste. 

The  frequent,  irregular,  and  unrelated  newspaper  com- 
ment on  fire  losses  shows  the  disposition  of  the  daily  press 
in  the  matter  and  its  aid  could  doubtless  safely  be  counted 
upon  to  disseminate  regularly  more  systematized  informa- 
tion, when  the  need  of  a  thorough  educational  campaign  on 
the  subject  is  made  clear.  I  trust  that  state  fire  prevention 
associations  will  spring  up  all  over  the  country,  formed  of 
and  supported  by  citizens  generally  to  co-operate  with  the 
growing  list  of  fire  marshals  in  an  effort  to  reduce  American 
fire  waste. 

With  the  premise  admitted  that  we  as  a  people  know 
how  to  construct,  protect,  and  occupy  buildings  reasonably 
immune  from  fire  waste,  it  follows  that  the  great  bulk  of 
present  fire  waste  is  largely  preventable.  A  group  of  city 
buildings  reasonably  correct  in  construction,  protection, 
and  occupancy  suffers  less  from  fire  hazard  than  if  deficient 
in  these  three  respects ;  a  block  of  buildings  correct  in  these 
respects  is  more  proportionately  safe  from  the  fire  hazard 
than  any  one  group ;  while  an  entire  city  properly  con- 
structed, protected,  and  occupied  in  practice  cannot  burn. 
That  such  conditions  can  gradually  be  brought  about — the 
fire  map  of  Boston  proper  shows  even  to-day,  in  the  gradual 
extension  of  fire-proof  structures  over  crucial  areas.  It  is 
the  truth  in  this  thought  which  was  the  basis  for  that 
provision  of  the  Napoleonic  code,  still  the  fire  insurance 
law  of  France,  which  provides  that  the  individual  must  in 
a  measure  insure  his  neighbor  as  well  as  himself  against  fire 
loss. 


Ill 


Pennsylvania    (State)    and   Philadelphia    (City) 
FIRE    MARSHAL    LAWS 


Following  Are   Selections   from   Current   Newspaper   and 
Pamphlet  Comment  on  These  Two  Acts  of  Legislature 

PLEADS  FOR  STATE  BUREAU  TO  CHECK  MENACE  OF  FIRE 

Municipal  Research  Expert,  in  Address  at  Bourse,  Appeals 
for  Support  of  Pending  Legislation  to  Protect  Life  and 
Property 

"Owners  evade  expense  in  building;  engineers  and  ar- 
chitects are  often  not  fully  posted,  or  they  are  too  indiffer- 
ent or  too  lenient  with  their  clients ;  insurance  boards  have 
limited  influence  and  no  power;  the  municipal  building  and 
inspection  bureaus,  fire  departments  and  state  factory  in- 
spection bureaus  only  partially  co-operate  or  control,  and 
are  often  jealous  and  even  in  conflict.  There  is  no  central- 
ized authority,  no  centralized  responsibility." 

In  these  words,  Powell  Evans,  of  the  board  of  trustees 
of  the  bureau  of  municipal  research,  summed  up  yesterday 
conditions  as  they  exist  in  Pennsylvania  with  regard  to  the 
fire  menace.  Mr.  Evans  spoke  to  a  representative  body  of 
men  in  the  Bourse,  and  urged  them  to  exert  their  influence 
to  have  passed  the  bills  now  pending  in  the  legislature,  pro- 
viding for  the  establishment  of  the  office  of  a  state  fire 
marshal  and  the  licensing  of  insurance  brokers  and  agents. 

CONDEMN  DIVISION  OF  RESPONSIBILITY 

He  declared  that  lack  of  intelligent  precaution  has  been 
responsible  for  the  loss  of  thousands  of  lives  and  the  de- 
struction of  millions  of  dollars*  worth  of  property,  and  he 
said  that  the  scattering  of  responsibility  among  numerous 
officers  and  bureaus  operated  to  destroy  any  semblance  of 
precaution. 

"There  is,"  he  declared,  "a  riot  of  indifference,  incom- 
petence and  sometimes  graft;  lack  of  authority,  conflict  of 
authority.  Such  authority  as  does  exist  is  so  discentered 
as  to  make  the  placing  of  responsibility  impossible.  And 
over  all  is  a  criminal  gambling  on  the  chance  of  fire,  with 
its  horror  and  suffering  and  waste.  Nowhere  is  there  any 
mandatory  order  for  any  one  to  do  anything  to  prevent  fire 
waste. 

112 


•  tl 

"There  should  be  a  central  state  officer  clothed  with  au- 
thority, and  he  should  be  placed  in  the  state  capitol.  He  shoule 
exercise  as  much  power  over  the  construction,  protection  and 
occupation  of  buildings  to  prevent  fire  waste  as  the  state 
health  department  now  exercises  in  its  line."  *  *  * 

Among*  the  organizations  and  firms  represented  at  the 
meeting  were  the  State  Association  of  Architects,  the  bu- 
reau of  municipal  research,  Corn  Exchange  National  Bank, 
bureau  of  building  inspection,  Philadelphia  Fire  Underwrit- 
ers' Association,  Philadelphia  Credit  Men's  Association, 
Pennsylvania  Association  of  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
panies, Firemen's  Association  of  Pennsylvania,  Royal  Knit- 
ting Mills  Company,  Merchants  and  Manufacturers'  Asso- 
ciation, Chamber  of  Commerce,  Tradesmen's  National  Bank, 
Pennsylvania  Bankers'  Association,  Builders'  Exchange, 
Perry  &  Co.,  Biddle  Hardware  Company,  Folwell  Brothers 
&  Co.,  Young,  Smyth,  Field  Company,  V.  H.  Smith  &  Co., 
Board  of  Trade,  City  Club  and  the  Merchant  &  Evans  Com- 
pany.— Philadelphia  North  American,  April,  1912. 


SHIRTWAIST  WORKERS  Discuss  FIRE  PERILS 

Saying  that  a  number  of  shirtwaist  factories  in  this 
city  are  dangerous,  because  of  lack  of  precautions  for  avert- 
ing fires,  members  of  local  No.  15,  of  the  Ladies'  Shirtwaist 
Makers,  passed  resolutions  last  night  deciding  to  appoint  a 
committee  of  five  to  investigate.  More  than  1000  workers 
attended  a  meeting  in  the  Labor  Lyceum,  at  Sixth  and 
Brown  streets.  Miss  Pauline  M.  Newman,  organizer  of  the 
union,  conducted  the  meeting,  and  the  speakers  included 
Isadore  Dornblum,  organizer;  Miss  Rose  Schneiderman,  of 
New  York,  vice  president  of  the  Woman's  Trade  Union 
League  of  New  York,  and  George  W.  Aurich,  a  fireman  of 
Truck  No.  4,  this  city. 

Fireman  Aurich  told  the  employes  of  the  factories  that 
many  of  them  were  unsafe  through  the  large  quantities  of 
scraps  on  the  floors,  and  told  them  if  they  wanted  to  help 
protect  themselves,  to  stop  smoking  cigarettes  at  their  work. 
He  said  that  each  factory  should  have  a  fire  drill  at  least 
once  a  week,  and  that  the  employes  should  see  that  the 
water  buckets  were  kept  filled  and  the  fire  hose  in  good  con- 
dition.— Philadelphia  North  American,  April,  1912. 


URGE  RIGID  LAWS  TO  PREVENT  FIRES 

Merchants  and  Insurance  Chiefs  Point  Out  Need  of  Marshalls, 
Indorse  Pending  Bills 

Necessity  of  more  stringent  fire-preventive  legislation 
in  this  State  was  emphasized  at  a  general  meeting  of  mer- 
chants, trade  and  insurance  associations,  which  was  called 
together  at  the  Bourse  yesterday  afternoon. 

Powell  Evans,  chairman  of  the  Fire-prevention  Com- 
mittee of  the  National  Association  of  Manufacturers,  occu- 
pied the  chair,  and  among  those  active  in  the  organizing 
movement  for  the  meeting  were  N.  B.  Kelly,  of  the  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce;  Richard  Waterman,  of  the  City  Club; 
Charles  A.  Hexamer,  of  the  Fire  Underwriters;  Louis  S. 
Amonson,  W.  R.  Tucker,  of  the  Board  of  Trade;  C.  H. 
Johnson,  Master  Builders'  Exchange;  Edward  F.  Henson, 
Arthur  Freeston  and  George  W.  Aurich,  representing  the 
city  fire  department. 

Chairman  Evans,  in  opening  the  meeting,  called  atten- 
tion to  four  bills  now  before  the  Legislature  at  Harrisburg 
providing  for  a  State  fire  marshall  with  incidental  taxation; 
also  dealing  with  fire  insurance  rates  and  licensing  brokers 
and  agents.  He  decried  the  great  waste  and  loss  now  due 
to  fires  in  the  city  and  State,  and  was  confident  that  present 
conditions  could  not  be  remedied  without  centralizing 
power  and  responsibility  for  general  preventive  measures 
in  such  form  as  provided  in  the  law  creating  a  State  fire 
marshall. 

Louis  S.  Amonson  called  attention  to  the  startling  fact 
that  fire  waste  costs  each  man,  woman  and  child  in  this 
country  $3  a  year,  while  in  Europe  the  per  capita  rate  is 
only  30  cents.  In  Berlin,  with  2,000,000  people,  the  annual 
fire  loss  is  only  $175,000,  while  in  Philadelphia  it  exceeds 
$2,000,000.  He  contended  that  a  State  fire  marshall  law 
would  result  in  a  codifying  and  improvement  of  our  present 
preventive  measures,  especially  in  the  matter  of  inspections. 
Among  other  acts  which  would  be  made  criminal  offenses 
would  be  the  careless  throwing  about  of  lighted  matches 
and  cigars,  as  in  the  case  of  the  recent  fire  in  New  York, 
where  a  cigarette  fiend  had  apparently  caused  the  loss  of 
144  lives. 

USE    OF    FIREMEN    FOR    INSPECTION 

George  W.  Aurich,  of  Fire  Truck  No.  4,  who  has  been 
specially  assigned  to  inspection  work,  pointed  out  the  re- 
sults of  a  recent  tour  around  town,  where  dangerous  viola- 
tions of  the  fire  laws  regarding  traps  at  stairways  were  ob- 

114 


served  in  many  factories.  He  believed  that  it  would  be  a 
good  thing  for  the  city  when  the  firemen  were  more  com- 
monly used  for  inspection  service,  instead  of  sitting  around 
the  fire  houses. 

Among  others  who  spoke  were  W.  R.  Tucker,  C.  H. 
Johnson,  C.  Elwood  Wagner  and  D.  K.  Boyd,  of  the  State 
Association  of  Architects.  At  the  end  of  the  meeting  the 
following  was  unanimously  adopted : 

"Resolved,  It  is  the  sense  of  this  meeting  and  of  the  in- 
dividuals composing  it  that  sound  city  and  State  fire  mar- 
shall  laws  should  be  enacted  by  the  present  Legislature. 
And  it  is  the  further  sense  of  the  meeting  that  the  bills, 
with  attached  notes,  with  printed  pamphlet,  dated  March 
30,  1911,  substantially  cover  the  measures  required." 

It  was  also  agreed  by  representatives  of  the  various 
trade  bodies  present  at  the  meeting  that  united  pressure 
would  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  Legislature  to  obtain 
the  passage  of  the  preventive  measures  now  under  consider- 
ation there. 

Chairman  Evans  said  after  the  meeting  that  a  deputa- 
tion of  Philadelphia  business  men  would  in  the  near  future 
wait  upon  the  Legislature  to  secure  the  most  advanced 
fire-preventive  laws  available  for  the  protection  of  the  city. 
— Philadelphia  Record,  April  i,  1911. 


FIRE  MARSHAL  BILLS 

STATE  OF  PENNSYLVANIA  AND  CITY  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

The  following  is  the  brief  history  of  these  bills  taken 
from  a  widely  distributed  pamphlet  issued  by  Mr.  Powell 
Evans  in  April,  1911,  for  a  meeting  of  approximately  50  trade 
bodies  called  by  him  at  the  Bourse,  Philadelphia,  to  organize 
support  for  the  measures  then  before  the  Pennsylvania  Legis- 
lature. 

The  introduction  follows : 

To  Owners  and  Occupants,  Architects  and  Engineers,  Con- 
tractors and  Inspectors  of  Buildings  in  the  United  States. 
Everywhere  and  All  the  Time 

READ!    STUDY!   AND    PRESERVE! 

THIS   PAMPHLET 
URGE  SUCH  LAWS  EVERYWHERE 

Just  State  and  City  Fire  Marshal  Laws,  and  Building 
Ordinances;  Continuously  enforced  by  rigid  and  honest  In- 
spectors; with  Complete  Publicity,  will  correct  this  needless 

"5 


waste  continuing  at  an  increasing  rate  at  the  cost  of  the  whole 
population,  throughout  the  country. 

Fire  Waste  in  the  United  States,  in  life  and  property  is 
more  than  twice  as  large  as  necessary,  measured  by  a  study  of 
the  facts  at  home  and  abroad. 

All  students  and  authorities  agree  on  this  statement ! 

Fire  Prevention  and  Protection  is  the  cure  for  this  crim- 
inal condition ! 

Make  fires  impossible  or  harmless,  and  the  useless  waste 
of  life  and  property  will  cease! 


Other  facts  given  were  commented  upon  in  part  as  fol- 
lows by  the  North  American  (Phila.)  in  an  editorial  dated 
April  20,  1911.  Noting  the  then  recently  announced  Croker 
Bureau  in  New  York: 

"The  need  for  fire  prevention  is  not  a  discovery  of  Edward 
Croker.  He  simply  has  devised  a  practical  method  of  provid- 
ing what  has  been  demanded  for  years  by  the  most  enlight- 
ened business  men  of  America,  notable  among  them  being 
Powell  Evans,  of  Philadelphia. 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Evans  for  some  of  the  statistics 
already  used.  We  find  nowhere  any  better  summary  than  his 
of  the  conditions  that  the  Croker  plan  is  meant  to  remedy : 

Pennsylvania  fire  loss  averages  $10,000,000  per  an- 
num, compared  with  total  insurance  premiums  of  $25,- 
000,000,  reported  at  Harrisburg.  About  one-quarter  of 
waste  and  value  lie  within  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

All  facts  prove: 

First — That  United  States  fire  waste  is  outrageously 
high  (average  over  $3  per  capita,  against  about  30  cents 
in  western  Europe). 

Second — That  it  is  easily'  reducible  here  by  known 
courses  of  action  (Ohio  fire  waste  reduced  from  approxi- 
mately $11,000,000  to  below  $7,000,000  in  last  six  years 
under  control  of  state  fire  marshal,  although  for  same 
period  insurable  values  in  Ohio  doubled ;  similar  record  in 
Wisconsin  and  Nebraska). 

Third — That  cost  of  insurance  slowly  but  approxi- 
mately drops  with  fire  waste  (average  insurance  cost  in 
western  Europe  i-io  of  i%,  with  30  cents  per  capita  fire 
waste,  against  $i  here  on  $3  per  capita  fire  waste,  or 
United  States  fire  waste  and  insurance  cost  both  about  ten 
times  that  of  western  Europe.  Insurance  cost  falling  in 
Ohio  and  Wisconsin  as  fire  waste  falls). 

116 


Life  loss  from  fire  decreases  as  fire  waste.  Approxi- 
mately 1500  people  killed  and  over  5000  badly  injured  per 
annum  in  United  States,  far  exceeding  foreign  averages. 

The  business  man  must  also  remember  that  reduced 
fire  waste  also  means  reduced  interruption  to  business, 
which  cannot  be  safeguarded  by  insurance,  as  well  as  re- 
duced insurance  cost. 

This  whole  country  has  good  reason  to  echo  these  words 
of  Edward  Croker:  "I  am  hopeful  that  the  coming  years  of 
my  life  will  leave  behind  me  a  record  of  public  good  in  this 
direction.  I  am  confident  that  I  can  be  of  more  good  out  of 
the  department  in  protecting  life  and  property  than  I  have 
been  heretofore,  for  I  will  have  a  greater  field  of  activity  and 
usefulness  to  carry  out  my  ideas.  I  am  sure  that  if  I  am  able 
to  do  this  we  will  not  have  a  repetition  of  the  recent  disasters 
that  have  startled  the  world." 

Newark  and  Washington  Place  have  furnished  sickening 
proofs  that  the  best  of  laws  and  the  bravest,  perfectly  equip- 
ped department  will  not  suffice  to  prevent  such  sacrifices.  It 
is  simple  business  sanity  to  adopt  every  practical  means  to  re- 
duce fire  waste  of  property  and  insurance  cost  to  figures  ap- 
proximating those  in  the  older  countries.  But  tenfold  stronger 
is  the  demand  of  humanity  for  a  cessation  of  these  preventable 
burnt  offerings  upon  the  altar  of  waste,  greed  and  ignorance/' 


The  following  is  a  brief  history  of  above  named  bills 
then  before  the  Pennsylvania  Legislature. 

Senator  Tustin  introduced  in  the  State  Senate  some  time 
in  February  a  fire-marshal  bill,  copied  almost  precisely  from 
the  Illinois  act,  at  the  request  of  Mr.  George  Nallinger,  Dis- 
trict Fire  Marshal  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia  and  active  in  the 
Firemen's  Association  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  (which  for 
the  past  two  years  has  advocated  such  a  measure  in  principle). 

The  Pennsylvania  Association  of  Mutual  Fire  Insurance 
Companies,  through  Mr.  Arthur  Freston,  Secretary,  and  Dr. 
J.  R.  Beckley  (another  of  their  officers,  who  has  carefully 
studied  such  legislation),  also  actively  supported  such  a  meas- 
ure in  principle. 

After  I  received  from  the  Hon.  Edwin  A.  Merritt,  Jr., 
chairman,  the  "Report  of  the  joint  committee  of  the  Senate 
and  Assembly  of  the  State  of  New  York,  appointed  to  inves- 
tigate *  *  *  the  affairs  of  insurance  companies  other 
than  those  doing  life  insurance  business,  transmitted  to  the 
Legislation  February  I,  1911,"  and  studied  the  facts  gathered 
from  their  nearly  200  witnesses,  over  a  period  of  more  than 
three  months,  covering  every  phase  and  interest  touching  the 

117 


subject,  in  hearings  before  this  commission  (whose  attention 
I  had  been  in  a  measure  instrumental  in  centering  on  fire  pre- 
vention} ;  I  engaged  Mr.  Thomas  Raeburn  White  of  the  Phila- 
delphia bar  to  prepare  drafts  for  the  necessary  legislation  to 
meet  legal  (constitutional)  requirements  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
properly  cover  the  situation  on  this  subject  actually  existent 
in  this  State. 

The  form  of  the  proposed  New  York  laws  seemed  best, 
and  with  modifications  and  amendments  were  adopted. 

The  initial  drafts  were  carefully  discussed  in  detail  with 
the  Firemen's  Association ;  the  Stock  Insurance  organization, 
imposed  on  any  one  as  to  anything  to  prevent  fire  waste  widely 
and  effectively.  Current  newspaper  reports  tell  enough  about 
the  New  York  Asch  Building  fire.  The  Survey  (New  York), 
January  7th,  fully  describes  the  Newark  fire,  and  proves  all 
the  above  statements.  If  in  this  matter  and  in  this  State  we 
would  not  be  fools  and  spendthrifts,  the  time  has  come  to  act 
and  to  act  effectively. 

A  central  State  officer,  duly  clothed  with  authority,  should 
be  placed  in  the  State  Capitol — to  exercise  as  much  authority 
over  constructing,  protecting,  and  occupying  buildings  (includ- 
ing constant  fire  preventive  inspection) — to  minimize  fire 
waste,  as  the  State  Health  Department  now  exercises  within 
similar  lines  to  protect  health  effectively  and  without  conflict 
or  confusion. 

Repeated  and  continuous  statements  from  the  publications 
of  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  and  the  National 
Fire  Protection  Association  more  than  endorse  the  above 
views. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  local  political  influences  deny  this 
just  reform  within  the  cities  of  Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh  at 
a  risk  of  the  defeat  of  the  State  measures,  but  time  will  show 
the  merit  of  these  laws  from  their  operation  over  the  remain- 
der of  the  State.  Eventually  this  central  control  with  author- 
ity and  organization  should  cover  the  whole  State — including 
all  fire,  building  permit  and  inspection,  and  factory  inspection, 
bureaus  and  departments. 


NOTE. — The  Pennsylvania  Fire  Marshall  Bill  passed  the  Legis- 
lature and  was  signed  by  the  Governor,  June  3,  1911,  with  an 
appropriation  of  $70,000  for  organization  and  support  of  this  office. 
Up  to  date  of  issue  of  this  book,  or  nearly  one  year,  the  Governor 
has  jfor  unknown  and  incomprehensible  reasons  declined  to 
appoint — and  has  thus  nullified  the  plain  will  of  the  Legislature  of 
Pennsylvania,  approved  by  himself — and  thus  deprived  the  people 
of  this  state  of  the  protection  against  fire  they  asked  and  need. 

if 8 


The  following  cited  Resolutions  indicate  current  Trade. 
Association  opinion  on  this  situation. 

Resolutions  adopted  at  the  meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  held  March  14, 
1912: 

WHEREAS,  At  the  last  meeting  of  our  Legislature  a  commis- 
sion was  created  and  authorized  to  revise  our  building  code,  and 
the  sum  of  six  thousand  dollars  $6,000)  appropriated  for  that 
purpose,  therefore  be  it 

RESOLVED,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
of  Philadelphia  that  Governor  Tener  should  immediately  appoint 
such  a  commission,  so  that  the  property  values  of  our  citizens  may 
be  protected  and  saved  from  impending  loss;  and  that  such  Com- 
mittee be  composed  of  experienced  men  in  building  and  construc- 
tion lines. 

RESOLVED,  That  the  holocaust  should  stimulate  him  to  immedi- 
ate action. 

NOTE. — Since  above  resolution  the  Governor  has  appointed 

this  Board. 

The  fire  loss  in  the  United  States  for  January  and  February 
reached  the  enormous  total  of  sixty-four  millions  of  dollars,  our 
own  State  losses  entering  largely  into  these  figures. 

WHEREAS,  It  has  been  nearly  a  year  since  the  passage  of  the 
Fire  Marshall  Bill  by  the  Legislature,  carrying  with  it  an  appro- 
priation of  Seventy  Thousand  Dollars  ($70,000)  for  the  purpose 
thereof,  and 

WHEREAS,  The  appointment  of  a  Fire  Marshall  was  authorized 
by  said  Bill,  therefore  be  it 

RESOLVED,  That  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Philadelphia 
earnestly  request  that  Governor  Tener  promptly  appoint  a  Fire 
Marshall  in  compliance  with  said  Bill,  so  that  the  large  interests 
of  the  State  may  be  benefited  by  the  protection  intended,  and  that 
said  appointee  be  a  man  of  well  known  executive  and  business 
ability. 

Resolutions  adopted  at  a  Board  meeting  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Association  of  Credit  Men,  April  17,  1912: 

WHEREAS,  The  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania  in  the  year  1911 
passed  a  Fire  Marshall  Bill  carrying  an  appropriation  of  Seventy 
Thousand  ($70,000)  Dollars,  guaranteeing  its  efficient  working, 
and  the  appointment  of  a  Fire  Marshall  was  authorized  there- 
under, therefore  be  it 

RESOLVED,  That  the  Philadelphia  Association  of  Credit  Men, 
representing  many  of  our  strongest  and  best  manufacturing,  com- 
mercial and  banking  houses,  unite  in  asking  Governor  Tener  to 
immediately  appoint,  in  accordance  with  said  Bill,  a  man  of  recog- 
nized business  and  executive  ability  as  Fire  Marshall  for  this 
Commonwealth. 

119 


Following  are  the  two  bills  as  finally  enacted  into  law. 
The  notes  were  added  from  Mr.  Evans'  pamphlet: 

No.  254. 
AN  ACT 

Establishing  the  office  of  State  Fire  Marshall;  defining  his  powers 
and  duties;  providing  for  his  compensation,  and  the  mainten- 
ance of  his  office ;  giving  courts  the  power  to  punish  witnesses 
for  contempt  of  his  authority,  and  to  review  his  orders;  and 
making  it  the  duty  of  officers  of  public  instruction  and  persons 
in  charge  of  public  or  private  schools  to  instruct  children  as 
to  the  dangers  of  fire  and  the  prevention  of  fire  waste. 

Section  i.  Be  it  enacted,  &c.,  That  the  Governor  of  the 
Commonwealth  shall,  within  thirty  days  after  the  approval  of 
this  act,  appoint  a  State  Fire  Marshal,  who  shall  hold  office  for 
a  term  of  four  years,  or  until  his  successor  is  appointed  and 
qualified.  The  State  Fire  Marshal  shall  be  a  citizen  of  the 
Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  shall  keep  his  office  in  the 
capitol  at  Harrisburg,  and  shall  devote  his  entire  time  to  the 
duties  of  his  office.  He  shall  receive  an  annual  salary  of  five 
thousand  (5,000)  dollars,  and  in  addition  shall  be  paid  his 
actual  and  necessary  expenses  incurred  in  the  performance  of 
the  duties  of  his  office.  He  shall  give  bond,  in  the  sum  of  ten 
thousand  ( 10,000)  dollars,  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his 
duties. 

Section  2.  The  State  Fire  Marshal  shall  appoint  a  chief 
assistant  fire  marshal,  who  shall  receive  an  annual  salary  of 
four  thousand  (4,000)  dollars;  and  a  first  and  second  deputy 
fire  marshal,  each  of  whom  shall  receive  an  annual  salary  of 
three  thousand  (3,000)  dollars.  Each  such  assistant  and 
deputy  shall  also  be  paid  his  actual  and  necessary  expenses  in- 
curred in  the  performance  of  the  duties  of  his  office.  The 
State  Fire  Marshal  shall  also  appoint  one  or  more  stenog- 
raphers, at  an  annual  salary  not  to  exceed  one  thousand  two 
hundred  (1,200)  dollars  each;  and  such  other  clerks  and 
assistants  as  may  be  needed,  at  a  cost  of  not  exceeding  three 
(3)  dollars  per  day  each.  In  case  of  the  absence  of  the  State 
Fire  Marshal,  or  his  inability,  for  any  cause,  to  discharge  the 
duties  of  his  office,  such  duties  shall  devolve  upon  the  chief 
assistant  fire  marshal.  In  case  of  the  absence  or  inability,  for 
any  cause,  of  both  the  State  Fire  Marshal  and  chief  assistant 
fire  marshal,  their  duties  and  powers  shall  devolve  upon  the 
first  deputy,  and,  failing  him,  upon  the  second  deputy. 

Section  3.  The  chief  of  the  fire  department  in  any 
county,  city,  borough,  township,  school  district,  or  other  mu- 

120 


\ 

nicipality  or  incorporated  district,  where  such  fire  department 
is  established,  or,  where  no  such  fire  department  exists,  the 

NOTE. — Authorities  all  over  the  country  agree  that  fire- 
men, active  and  retired,  should,  as  far  as  possible,  inspect 
the  properties  they  protect,  both  to  know  them  in  case  of  fire 
and  to  prevent  in  advance  conditions  which  lead  to  fire.  Their 
duties  in  this  respect  are  limited  by  proviso  at  end  of  Section 
No.  4  following.  As  fireman  cannot  cover  all  the  inspection 
work,  the  fire  marshal  can  appoint  others  at  his  discretion 
as  Assistants. 

burgess  of  any  borough,  or  president  or  chairman  of  the  board 
of  supervisors  of  any  township  or  other  municipality  or  incor- 
porated district,  shall  be,  by  virtue  of  such  office  held  by  them, 
assistants  to  the  State  Fire  Marshal,  and  subject  to  the  duties 
and  obligations  imposed  by  this  act,  and  subject  to  the  direc- 
tions of  the  State  Fire  Marshal  in  the  execution  of  the  pro- 
visions hereof.  The  State  Fire  Marshal  may  also  appoint  in- 
dividual citizens  as  assistants,  who  shall  be  subject  to  the  duties 
and  obligations  aforesaid,  and  to  the  directions  of  the  State 
Fire  Marshal.  Immediately  upon  taking  office,  the  State  Fire 
Marshal  shall  prepare  instructions  to  the  assistant  fire  mar- 
shals, and  forms  for  their  use  in  the  reports  required  by  this 
act,  and  shall  cause  them  to  be  printed  and  sent,  together  with 
a  copy  of  this  law,  to  each  such  officer  in  the  Commonwealth. 

NOTE. — Defines  duties  of  Assistants  (under  central  offi- 
cers) substantially  as  adopted  in  New  York  act.  Sections  4 
to  7  inclusive  tend  to  materially  reduce  the  opportunity  for 
the  crime  of  Arson  as  shown  in  Ohio  and  Wisconsin. 

Section  4.  The  assistants  of  the  State  Fire  Marshal  shall 
investigate  the  cause,  origin,  and  circumstances  of  every  fire 
occuring  in  this  State,  by  which  life  or  property  has  been 
destroyed,  damaged,  or  endangered,  and  so  far  as  possible 
shall  determine  whether  the  fire  was  the  result  of  design  or 
carelessness.  Such  investigation  shall  be  begun  immediately 
upon  the  occurrence  of  the  fire,  by  the  assistant  in  whose  ter- 
ritory it  has  occurred,  and  if  it  appears  to  the  assistant  making 
such  investigation  to  be  of  suspicious  origin  the  State  Fire 
Marshal  shall  be  immediately  notified  of  such  fact.  Every  fire 
occurring  in  this  State  shall  be  reported  in  writing  to  the  State 
Fire  Marshal,  within  ten  days  after  its  occurrence,  by  the 
assistant  in  whose  jurisdiction  it  occurred.  Such  report  shall 
be  in  the  form  prescribed  by  the  State  Fire  Marshal,  and  shall 
contain  a  statement  of  all  facts  relating  to  the  cause  and 
origin  of  such  fire  that  can  be  ascertained,  the  extent  of  dam- 
age thereof,  the  insurance  upon  the  property  injured  or  de- 
stroyed, and  such  other  information  as  may  be  required :  Pro- 

121 


vided,  however,  That  the  duties  to  be  performed  by  the  assist- 
ant fire  marshals,  or  any  of  them,  may  be  limited  by  the  State 
Fire  Marshal  so  as  to  reasonably  accord  with  their  preexisting 
public  duties. 

NOTE. — Defines  duties,  powers,  penalties,  and  processes 
vested  in  fire  marshal  organization  to  accord  with  Pennsyl- 
vania law,  and  to  provide  authority  incorporated  in  New 
York  act. 

Section  5.  The  State  Fire  Marshal,  his  deputies  or  assist- 
ants, upon  the  complaint  of  any  person,  or  whenever  he  or  they 
shall  deem  it  necessary,  shall  inspect  the  buildings  and  prem- 
ises within  their  jurisdiction.  Whenever  any  of  the  said  offi- 
cers shall  find  any  building  or  structure  which,  for  want  of 
repairs,  or  by  reason  of  age  or  dilapidated  condition,  or  for 
any  other  cause,  is  especially  liable  to  fire  and  so  situated  as  to 
endanger  other  property,  he  or  they  shall  order  the  same  to  be 
removed  or  remedied,  if  the  same  is  reasonably  practicable, 
thereby  lessening  the  danger  from  fire.  Whenever  such  officer 
shall  find  in  any  building  combustible  or  explosive  matter  or 
inflammable  conditions  which  are  in  violation  of  any  law  or 
ordinance  applicable  thereto,  or  are  dangerous  to  the  safety  of 
such  buildings,  thereby  endangering  other  property,  he  or  they 
shall  order  the  same  to  be  removed  or  remedied,  and  such  or- 
der shall  forthwith  be  complied  with  by  the  owner  or  occu- 
pant of  such  premises  or  building.  If  such  order  is  made  by 
a  deputy  or  assistant  of  the  State  Fire  Marshal,  such  owner 
or  occupant  may,  within  five  days,  appeal  to  the  State  Fire 
Marshal,  who  shall  within  ten  days  review  such  order  and  file 
his  decision  thereon;  and  unless  by  his  authority  the  order  is 
revoked  or  modified,  it  shall  remain  in  full  force  and  be  obeyed 
by  such  owner  or  occupant:  Provided,  however,  That  any 
such  owner  or  occupant,  who  feels  himself  aggrieved  by  such 
order,  may,  within  five  days  after  the  same  has  been  affirmed 
by  the  State  Fire  Marshal,  file  his  petition  with  the  court  of 
common  pleas  of  the  proper  county,  praying  a  review  of  such 
order ;  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  court  to  hear  the  same  at 
the  first  convenient  day,  and  to  make  such  order  in  the  prem- 
ises as  right  and  justice  may  require. 

Any  owner  or  occupant  failing  to  comply  with  such  order 
within  ten  days  after  said  appeal  shall  have  been  determined, 
or,  if  no  appeal  is  taken,  then  within  twenty  days  after  the 
service  of  said  order,  shall  be  liable  to  a  penalty  of  twenty- 
five  dollars  for  each  day's  neglect  thereafter.  The  service  of 
any  such  order  shall  be  made  upon  the  occupant  of  the  prem- 
ises to  whom  it  is  directed,  by  either  delivering  a  true  copy  of 
same  to  such  occupant  personally,  or  by  delivering  the  same 

122 


to  and  leaving  it  with  any  person  in  charge  of  the  premises, 
or,  in  case  no  such  person  is  found  upon  the  premises,  by 
affixing  a  copy  thereof  in  a  conspicuous  place  on  the  door  to 
the  entrance  of  the  said  premises.  Whenever  it  may  be  nec- 
essary to  serve  such  an  order  upon  the  owner  of  premises, 
such  order  may  be  served  either  by  delivering  to  and  leav- 
ing with  the  said  person  a  true  copy  of  the  said  order,  or, 
if  such  owner  is  absent  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the  officer 
making  the  order,  by  mailing  such  copy  to  the  owner's  last 
known  post-office  address.  The  penalties  herein  provided 
may  be  recovered  as  debts  are  by  law  collectible,  in  any 
courts  having  jurisdiction  of  the  parties.  Such  action  shall 
be  brought  in  the  name  of  the  Commonwealth,  under  the 
direction  of  the  State  Fire  Marshal  or  any  of  his  deputies 
or  assistants,  by  the  Attorney  General,  or  by  any  district 
attorney  or  legally  constituted  law  officer  of  any  county, 
city,  borough,  township,  or  other  municipality,  who  may 
be  designated  by  the  Attorney  General ;  or  at  the  option  of 
the  Attorney  General,  he  may  designate  any  attorney  to 
bring  such  action. 

NOTE. — Defines  powers  to  obtain  evidence — essential.     In 
accord  with  Pennsylvania  practice. 

Section  6.  The  State  Fire  Marshal  or  his  deputies,  in 
addition  to  the  investigation  made  by  any  of  the  assistants, 
may  at  any  time  investigate  the  origin  or  circumstances 
of  any  fire  occurring  in  this  Commonwealth.  The  State 
Fire  Marshal,  his  deputies  and  assistants,  shall  have  the 
power  to  summon  witnesses,  and  compel  them  to  attend 
before  them,  or  either  of  them,  to  testify  in  relation  to 
any  matter  which  is  by  the  provisions  of  this  act  a  subject 
of  inquiry  and  investigation;  and  may  require  the  produc- 
tion of  any  books,  papers,  or  documents  deemed  pertinent 
or  necessary  to  the  inquiry;  and  shall  have  the  power  to 
administer  oaths  and  affirmations  to  any  person  appearing 
as  a  witness  before  them ;  such  examination  may  be  public 
or  private,  as  the  officers  conducting  the  investigation  may 
determine. 

No  person  shall  be  excused  from  attending  before  the 
said  Fire  Marshal,  or  any  of  his  deputies  or  assistants, 
when  summoned  so  to  attend ;  nor,  when  ordered  so  to  do, 
shall  he  be  excused  from  testifying,  or  producing  any  books, 
papers,  or  documents  before  such  officer,  upon  any  investi- 
gation, proceeding,  or  inquiry  instituted  under  the  pro- 
visions of  this  act ;  upon  the  ground  or  for  the  reason  that 
the  testimony  or  the  evidence,  documentary  or  otherwise, 
required  of  him,  may  tend  to  convict  him  of  a  crime  or 

123 


subject  him  to  a  penalty  or  forfeiture;  but  no  person  shall 
be  prosecuted,  or  subjected  to  a  penalty  or  forfeiture,  for 
or  on  account  of  any  transaction,  matter,  or  thing  con- 
cerning which  he  may  have  been  required  so  to  testify  or 
produce  evidence,  documentary  or  otherwise;  and  no  testi- 
mony, so  given  or  produced,  shall  be  received  against  him 
upon  any  criminal  investigation  or  proceeding.  If  after 
any  such  examination  the  State  Fire  Marshal,  or  any  of 
his  deputies  or  assistants,  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  facts 
in  relation  to  such  fire  indicate  that  a  crime  has  been 
committed,  he  shall  present  the  testimony  taken  on  such 
examination,  together  with  any  other  data  in  his  possession, 
to  the  district  attorney  of  the  proper  county,  with  the 
request  that  he  institute  such  criminal  proceedings  as  such 
testimony  or  data  may  warrant. 

The  State  Fire  Marshal,  or  his  deputies  or  his  assist- 
ants, may,  at  all  reasonable  hours,  enter  any  building  or 
premises  within  his  or  their  jurisdiction,  for  the  purpose 
of  making  an  inspection,  which,  under  the  provisions  of 
this  act,  he  or  they  may  deem  necessary  to  be  made. 

NOTE. — Defines  penalties  for  recalcitrant  witnesses — 
essential.  In  accord  with  Pennsylvania  practice. 

Section  7.  Any  witness  who  refuses  to  obey  a  sum- 
mons of  the  State  Fire  Marshal,  his  deputies  or  assistants ; 
or  who  refuses  to  be  sworn  or  to  testify ;  or  who  disobeys 
any  lawful  order  of  the  State  Fire  Marshal,  his  deputies 
or  assistants,  in  relation  to  any  investigation  instituted  by 
him  or  them ;  or  who  fails  or  refuses  to  produce  any  books, 
papers,  or  documents  touching  any  matter  under  investiga- 
tion or  examination ;  or  who  is  guilty  of  any  contempt,  after 
being  summoned  to  appear  before  him  or  either  of  them 
to  give  testimony  in  relation  to  any  matter  or  subject 
under  examination  or  investigation  as  aforesaid,  may  be 
punished  as  for  contempt  of  court.  For  this  purpose,  appli- 
cation may  be  made  to  any  court  within  whose  jurisdiction 
the  contempt  in  question  took  place,  and  for  which  pur- 
pose the  courts  of  common  pleas  of  this  Commonwealth  are 
hereby  given  jurisdiction. 

NOTE. — Provides  for  continuing  records  now  practically 
non-existent  and  unobtainable — essential.  Having  authorized 
and  organized  a  Fire  Marshal  force  then  the  publicity  of 
records  obtained  becomes  most  important  as  a  moral  check  on 
the  office,  and  an  avenue  for  volunteer  work. 

Section  8.  The  State  Fire  Marshal  shall  keep  in  his 
office  all  records  which  may  be  sent  him  in  accordance 

124 


with  law  relative  to  the  physical  condition  of  buildings, 
whether  the  laws  and  ordinances  have  been  complied  with 
so  far  as  the  same  relate  to  fire  protection,  records  of 
application  for  fire  insurance  upon  any  buildings,  or  other 
information  relating  thereto  which  may  be  sent  him  in 
compliance  with  law;  and  shall  also  keep  a  record  of  all 
fires  occurring  in  this  State,  and  of  all  the  facts  concerning 
the  same,  including  statistics  as  to  the  extent  of  such 
fires  and  the  damage  caused  thereby,  and  whether  such 
losses  were  covered  by  insurance,  and,  if  so,  in  what 
amount.  Such  records  shall  be  made  daily,  from  the  re- 
ports made  to  him  by  his  assistants,  under  the  provisions 
of  this  act.  All  such  records  shall  be  public,  except  that 
any  testimony,  taken  in  investigations  under  the  provisions 
of  this  act,  may  be  withheld  from  the  public,  in  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  State  Fire  Marshal. 

SECTION  9. 

NOTE. — Provides  cheap  and  effective  notice  annually  to 
property  owners  with  important  and  continuous  educational 
value  to  adults  through  the  State. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  State  Fire  Marshal  to  pre- 
pare blank  forms  for  the  furnishing  of  information,  by 
owners  or  occupants  of  buildings,  throughout  the  Com- 
monwealth, of  the  condition  of  such  buildings  with  regard 
to  fire  protection.  The  said  blanks  shall  contain  notice  to 
such  property  owners  or  occupiers  of  proper  rules  and 
regulations  to  minimize  the  danger  of  fire  and  to  suppress 
fire  waste;  and  shall  contain  certain  questions  requesting 
information  of  a  definite  character,  to  show  the  condition  of 
the  buildings  as  aforesaid.  These  blank  forms  shall  be 
furnished  by  the  fire  marshal  to  officers  whose  duty  it  is 
to  receipt. for  taxes  on  real  property,  in  every  part  of  the 
Commonwealth,  to  be  given  by  them  to  property  owners, 
together  with  their  tax  bills  (two  forms  for  each  property)  ; 
with  the  requirements  that  one,  properly  filled  out,  be 
forwarded  to  the  State  Fire  Marshal  at  once,  for  filing 
among  the  records  of  his  office,  and  that  the  other  be  so 
forwarded  six  months  thereafter. 

NOTE. — Defines  educational  scheme  for  schools  of  present 
and  future  value,  closely  following  well-known  "Reed"  law 
of  Ohio  which  has  been  found  during  the  past  five  years 
very  workable  and  effective. 

Section  10.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  fire  marshal 
to  prepare,  in  consultation  with  the  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction,  books  of  instruction,  for  use  in  the 

125 


public  and  private  schools  of  students  of  all  grades,  with 
regard  to  the  dangers  of  fire  and  the  prevention  of  fire 
waste.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Superintendent  of  Pub1ic 
Instruction,  and  of  the  principals  or  other  persons  in  charge 
of  the  various  schools  in  this  Commonwealth,  to  provide 
for  the  instruction  and  training  of  pupils  of  such  schools 
by  means  of  drills,  so  that  they  may,  in  sudden  emergencies, 
be  able  to  leave  the  school  buildings  in  the  shortest  pos- 
sible time  without  confusion  or  panic.  Such  drills  shall  be 
held  at  least  once  a  month  when  the  schools  are  in  session. 
Books  of  instruction  with  regard  to  the  dangers  of  fire 
and  the  prevention  of  fire  waste,  as  above  specified,  shall 
be  published  at  the  expense  of  the  State,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  and  shall 
be  distributed  in  sufficient  quantities  for  the  use  of  the 
schools  as  herein  provided;  and  the  curriculum  of  such 
schools  shall  include  some  regular  and  continuous  study 
of  such  subjects  during  the  entire  school  year. 

NOTE. — Requires  annual  reports;  including,  preparation 
before  the  next  meeting  of  the  Legislature  of  a  proposed 
"Standard  Fire  Insurance  Policy",  (most  important  to  assure 
property  owners  a  fair,  sound  and  simple  insurance  contract)  ; 
and  a  "State  Building  Code"  for  adoption  by  municipalities — 
both  without  added  cost  to  the  State,  by  men  capable  of 
sound  construction  of  such  measures,  without  the  necessity 
of  a  cumbersome  and  expensive  commission.  Insurance  is 
nation  wide,  without  Federal  Control  apparently  possible. 
States  should  in  the  aggregate  pass  uniform  acts  to  control 
this  entire  subject,  as  emphatically  urged  by  the  American 
Bar  Association,  through  its  Committee  on  Insurance  Law, 
and  its  allied  Commission  on  Uniform  Laws. 

Section  n.  The  State  Fire  Marshal  shall  make  an 
annual  report  to  the  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth,  on 
or  before  the  first  day  of  February  of  each  year,  setting 
forth  a  full  report  of  the  work  of  his  office  during  the 
preceeding  calendar  year,  including  such  statistics  as  he 
may  desire  to  include  therein.  He  shall  also  recommend 
in  his  report  such  legislation,  if  any,  as  in  his  judgment 
may  be  desirabe  to  further  carry  out  the  purpose  of  this 
law  for  the  prevention  of  fire  waste ;  such  recommendation 
shall  include  a  draft  of  an  act  providing  for  the  adoption 
of  a  standard  municipal  building  code,  and  a  draft  of  an 
act  providing  for  a  standard  fire  insurance  policy,  for  the 
Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  which  drafts  shall  be  re- 
ported on  or  before  January  first,  one  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  thirteen. 


126 


Section  12.  The  assistants  of  the  State  Fire  Marshal, 
not  receiving  a  salary  for  the  performance  of  public  duties, 
shall  receive,  upon  the  audit  of  the  State  Fire  Marshal, 
fifty  cents  for  each  report  of  each  separate  fire  reported 
to  the  State  Fire  Marshal  under  this  act;  and,  in  addition 
thereto,  shall  be  paid  the  sum  of  fifteen  cents  for  each 
mile  traveled  to  the  place  of  fire;  and,  in  the  discretion  of 
the  State  Fire  Marshal,  where  an  investigation  has  been 
made,  a  sum  not  to  exceed  three  (3)  dollars  for  each  day's 
service  spent  in  such  investigation. 

Section  13.  All  penalties  or  forfeiture  collected  under 
the  provisions  of  this  act  shall  be  paid  into  the  treasury 
of  this  Commonwealth. 

Section  14.  This  act  shall  not  be  construed  to  repeal 
an  act  of  the  General  Assembly,  entitled  "An  act  to  provide 
for  the  appointment  of  a  fire  marshal  for  Allegheny 
County,"  approved  the  eighteenth  day  of  April,  Anno 
Domini  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-four 
(Pamphlet  Laws,  four  hundred  and  sixty-five).  It  is 
further  hereby  declared  to  be  the  true  intention  and  mean- 
ing of  this  act,  that  the  same  shall  not  apply  or  be  operative 
in  any  city  or  county  of  this  Commonwealth  where,  under 
existing  laws,  whether  special  or  general,  the  position  and 
duties  of  a  fire  marshal  are  provided  for. 

Section  15.  All  acts  or  parts  of  acts  inconsistent  here- 
with are  hereby  repealed. 

Approved — the  3d  day  of  June,  A.  D.  1911. 

JOHN  K.  TENER. 

The  foregoing  is  a  true  and  correct  copy  of  the  Act 
of  the  General  Assembly  No.  254. 

ROBERT  McAFEE 
Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth 


No.   281 
AN   ACT 

Creating  the  office  of  Fire  Marshal,  to  be  attached  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Safety  in  cities  of  the  first  class;  prescribing 
his  duties  and  powers;  and  providing  penalties  for  violations 
of  the  provisions  of  the  act;  and  providing  for  the  method 
of  appointment,  compensation,  and  for  the  maintenance  of 
his  office. 

NOTE. — It  does  not  appear  that  any  salary  or  bond  attach- 
ing to  the  Fire  Marshal  is  defined  in  this  section. 

Section    I.     Be   it    enacted,   &c.,   That   there   shall   be 
established    in   the    Department   of    Public    Safety,    in   all 

127 


cities  of  the  first  class  in  this  Commonwealth,  to  be  known 
as  "the  Office  of  Fire  Marshal."  That  the  Director  of 
Public  Safety  shall  appoint,  subject  to  the  approval  of 
select  council,  a  suitable  person,  who  shall  be  a  citizen  of 
the  State  and  a  qualified  elector  of  said  city,  Fire  Marshal, 
who  shall  devote  his  whole  time  to  the  duties  of  his  office, 
and  who  shall  hold  office  until  his  successor  is  appointed 
and  qualified.  The  office  of  Fire  Marshal  be  maintained 
at  such  place  as  may  be  designated  by  the  Director  of  the 
Department  of  Public  Safety:  Provided,  That  whenever 
an  officer  of  the  Police  Department,  in  any  city  of  the  first 
class,  has  heretofore  been  appointed  as  Fire  Marshal,  he 
shall  continue  to  hold  office  and  act  as  Fire  Marshal,  under 
the  terms  and  provisions  of  this  act,  until  his  term  of 
office  shall  have  expired,  or  until  he  shall  have  been  re- 
moved for  cause  by  the  said  Director  of  Public  Safety. 

Section  2.  The  Director  of  Public  Safety  is  hereby 
empowered  and  required  to  appoint  such  a  number  of 
assistant  fire  marshals  as  the  city  councils  may  allow,  one 
of  the  said  assistants  to  be  designated  as  chief  assistant. 
The  duties  of  said  chief  assistant  and  assistants  shall  be  to 
assist  the  Fire  Marshal,  and  such  appointees  may  be  re- 
moved for  cause  by  the  said  Director  of  Public  Safety. 

Section  3.  In  the  event  of  a  vacancy  in  the  office  of 
Fire  Marshal,  or  during  the  absence  or  disability  of  that 
officer,  the  chief  assistant  marshal  shall  perform  the  duties 
of  the  office,  or,  in  his  absence,  one  of  the  assistants  to 
be  designated  by  the  director  of  Public  Safety. 

Section  4.  The  Director  of  Public  Safety  is  hereby 
empowered  to  appoint  such  office  assistants  as  the  city 
council  may  allow,  as  being  necessary  for  the  proper  and 
efficient  conduct  of  his  office :  Provided,  nevertheless,  That 
all  rules  and  regulations  heretofore  made  by  councils,  at 
any  city  of  the  first  class,  for  the  regulation  and  conduct 
of  the  office  of  Fire  Marshal,  not  inconsistent  with  the 
terms  of  this  act,  shall  be  valid  and  binding. 

NOTE. — It  does  not  appear  that  any  salary  is  defined  for 
Assistant  Fire  Marshals  in  this  section;  nor  does  it  appear 
that  the  Fire  Marshal  has  any  power  to  appoint  volunteers 
for  any  of  this  work  should  the  force  allowed  him  by  City 
Council  prove  inadequate  to  fully  carry  out  the  functions  of 
his  office. 

The  proposed  City  Fire  Marshal  under  this  .act  would 
have  no  use  of  the  City  Fire  Department  organization  or 
the  City  Building  and  Inspection  Bureau  organization,  both 
of  which  should  unquestionably  be  brought  enough  under  the 
control  of  the  proposed  Fire  Marshal  as  to  regulate  for  the 

128 


future  the  danger  of  fire  not  only  in  the  construction  and 
protection  of  new  buildings,  but  in  the  improvement,  protec- 
tion and  occupancy  of  all  existing  (including  new)  buildings. 
This  proposed  bill  fails  to  concentrate  authority  over  all 
property  in  the  City,  as  respects  the  danger  of  fire,  in  one 
office. 

The  Journal  of  Commerce  and  Commercial  Bulletin,  New 
York,  in  an  editorial  on  Fire  Prevention  in  Wednesday, 
March  2Qth  issue,  comments  on  the  Washington  Place  (Asch 
Building)  fire  of  recent  date,  and  lays  clear  and  pronounced 
emphasis  on  this  bad  feature  in  the  existing  organization  of 
the  New  York  City  Government.  This  mistake  should  not  be 
allowed  at  this  time  in  this  city.  The  City  Fire  Marshal 
should  have  the  same  concentrated  control  over  buildings 
existent  and  future  as  regards  fire  danger,  as  the  health  depart- 
ment now  has  as  regards  sanitation;  and  the  plan  is  equally 
practicable  and  workable. 

Section  5.  The  Fire  Marshal  may  order  the  inspec- 
tion of  all  buildings  used  for  business  or  private  purposes, 
and  all  buildings  used  for  public  purposes, — meetings,  ex- 
hibitions, or  theatrical  or  operatic  performances,  or.  any 
amusement  place, — and  enforce  all  laws  relating  to  the 
same,  and  no  license  shall  be  issued  by  the  Mayor  until 
approved  by  the  Fire  Marshal.  He  and  his  assistant  fire 
marshals  shtdl  have  the  power  to  enter  and  inspect  build- 
ings as  aforesaid,  including  their  contents  and  occupancies 
as  provided  under  section  nine  of  this  act,  and  it  shall  be 
the  duty  of  such  Fire  Marshal  to  report  to  the  Director  of 
Public  Safety  any  faulty  or  dangerous  condition  found; 
and  no  license  under  the  provisions  of  any  law  may  be 
necessary,  to  use  said  buildings  for  any  purposes  herein 
named,  shall  be  issued,  or,  if  issued,  shall  not  be  available 
for  said  use,  until  the  faulty  or  dangerous  condition  is 
remedied;  and  said  Fire  Marshal  shall,  if  he  find  any  tem- 
porary property,  to  be  used  in  any  building  for  scenic  or 
spectacular  purposes,  is  made  of  or  composed  of  highly 
combustible  material,  he  shall  forbid  its  being  taken  in 
said  building. 

NOTE. — The  fire  investigation  as  provided  in  this  section 
should  extend  to  fires  "endangering"  property,  as  well  as  fires 
damaging  and  destroying  property,  and  such  investigation 
should  be  as  nearly  "immediate"  as  possible  after  fire  occurs. 

Section  6.  The  Fire  Marshal  of  every  city  of  the 
first  class  of  this  Commonwealth  shall  make,  or  cause  to 
be  made,  an  investigation  of  the  cause,  origin,  and  cir- 
cumstances of  every  fire  occurring  in  such  city,  by  which 
property  has  been  destroyed  or  damaged,  and  shall  especi- 

129 


ally  make  investigation  as  to  whether  such  fire  was  the 
result  of  carelessness  or  design.  Such  investigations  shall 
be  begun  immediately  after  the  occurrence  of  such  fire, 
and  the  Fire  Marshal  shall  have  the  right  to  supervise 
and  direct  such  investigation  whenever  he  deems  it  ex- 
pedient or  necessary.  The  officer  making  investigation  of 
fire  shall  forthwith  notify  said  Fire  Marshal,  and  shall 
within  one  week  of  the  occurrence  of  fire  furnish  to  the 
said  Fire  Marshal  a  written  statement  of  all  facts  relating 
to  the  cause  and  origin  of  the  fire,  and  such  other  informa- 
tion as  may  be  called  for, — the  blanks  provided  by  said 
Fire  Marshal.  The  said  Fire  Marshal  shall  keep  in  his 
office  a  record  of  all  fires  occurring,  together  with  all  facts, 
statistics,  and  circumstances,  including  the  origin  of  the 
fires,  which  may  be  determined  by  investigations  p^Dvided 
by  this  act;  such  records  shall  at  all  times  be  open  to 
the  public  inspection. 

Section  7.  The  Fire  Marshal  shall,  when  in  his  opinion 
further  investigation  is  necessary,  take  or  cause  to  be 
taken  the  testimony,  on  oath  or  affirmation,  of  all  persons 
supposed  to  be  cognizant  of  any  facts  or  to  have  means 
of  knowledge  in  relation  to  the  matter  as  to  which  an 
examination  is  herein  required  to  be  made,  and  shall  cause 
the  same  to  be  reduced  in  writing;  and  if  he  shall  be  of 
the  opinion  that  there  is  evidence  sufficient  to  charge  any 
person  with  the  crime  of  arson,  or  of  conspiracy  to  defraud, 
or  criminal  conduct,  in  connection  with  such  fire,  he  shall 
cause  such  person  to  be  arrested  and  charged  with  such 
offense,  or  either  of  them,  and  shall  furnish  to  the  proper 
prosecuting  attorney  all  such  evidence,  together  with  the 
names  of  witnesses  and  all  of  the  information  obtained 
by  him,  including  a  copy  of  all  pertinent  and  material 
testimony  taken  in  the  case ;  and  shall  report  to  the  mayor, 
as  often  as  such  mayor  shall  require,  the  proceedings  and 
the  progress  made  in  all  prosecutions  under  this  act,  and 
the  result  of  all  cases  which  are  finally  disposed  of. 

Section  8.  The  Fire  Marshal  and  the  chief  assistant 
fire  marshal,  and  assistant  fire  marshals,  shall  each  have 
the  power  to  summon  and  compel  the  attendance  of  wit- 
nesses before  them,  or  either  of  them,  to  testify  in  relation 
to  any  matter  which  is  by  the  provision  of  this  act  a  subject 
on  inquiry  and  investigation,  and  may  require  the  produc- 
tion of  any  book,  paper,  or  document  deemed  pertinent 
thereto  by  them,  or  either  of  them.  Said  Fire  Marshal, 
and  chief  assistant  fire  marshal  and  assistant  fire  marshals, 
are  each  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  administer 

130 


oaths  and  affirmations  to  any  persons  appearing  as  wit- 
nesses before  them.  Any  witness  who  refuses  to  be  sworn, 
or  who  refuses  to  testify,  or  who  disobeys  any  lawful 
order  of  said  Fire  Marshal,  chief  assistant  or  assistant  fire 
marshals,  or  who  fails  or  refuses  to  produce  any  book, 
paper,  or  document  touching  any  matter  under  examina- 
tion, or  who  is  guilty  of  any  contemptuous  conduct  after 
being  summoned  by  them,  or  either  of  them,  to  appear 
before  them  or  either  of  them,  to  give  testimony  in  relation 
to  any  matter  or  subject  under  investigation  as  aforesaid, 
shall  be  deemed  guilt  of  a  misdemeanor,  and,  on  conviction 
before  any  magistrate,  be  fined  twenty-five  dollars,  or,  in 
default  of  such  payment,  imprisoned  in  the  county  prison 
not  more  than  thirty  days.  Said  Fire  Marshal  and  his 
subordinates,  or  either  of  them,  shall  have  the  authority  at 
all  times  of  day  and  night,  in  the  performance  of  the  duties 
imposed  by  the  provisions  in  this  act,  to  enter  upon  and 
examine  any  building,  or  premises  adjoining  or  near  the 
same. 

NOTE. — The  proviso  at  the  end  of  this  section  permits 
an  appeal  to  the  Fire  Marshal,  but  allows  no  appeal  from  the 
Fire  Marshal.  After  careful  study  and  consultation  the  State 
Fire  Marshal  Act  incorporated  the  following  appeal  from  the 
Fire  Marshal,  viz. : 

"Provided  that  any  such  owner  or  occupant  who  feels 
himself  aggrieved  by  such  order  may  within  five  days  after 
the  same  has  been  affirmed  by  the  Fire  Marshal,  file  his 
petition  with  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  the  proper  county, 
praying  a  revenue  of  such  order,  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
Court  to  hear  the  same  at  the  first  convenient  day  and  to 
make  such  order  on  the  premises  as  right  and  justice  may 
require." 

Reasonable  rights  of  property  may  justly  demand  this 
permissible  higher  appeal. 

The  penalty  provided  in  this  section  permits  imprison- 
ment in  the  County  Prison  for  not  more  than  30  days  in 
default  of  payment  of  fine.  This  is  a  serious  power  to  confer 
and  so  much  objection  was  raised  to  its  incorporation  in  the 
State  Act  that  it  was  omitted. 

Section  9.  The  Fire  Marshal,  and  his  chief  assistant 
and  his  assistants,  shall  have  a  right  at  all  reasonable  hours, 
for  the  purpose  of  examination,  to  enter  into  and  upon  all 
buildings  and  premises  within  their  jurisdiction.  When- 
ever any  said  officers  shall  find  any  building  which,  by 
reason  of  age  and  dilapidated  condition  or  for  any  other 
cause,  is  especially  liable  to  fire,  and  which  is  so  situated 
as  to  endanger  other  buildings  or  property,  or  so  occupied 


that  fire  would  endanger  persons  or  property  therein,  and 
whenever  any  such  officers  shall  find  in  any  building  or 
upon  any  premises  highly  combustible  or  explosive  ma- 
terials, oils,  and  greases,  or  conditions  and  combinations 
dangerous  to  the  safety  of  said  buildings  or  premises,  they 
shall  order  the  same  to  be  removed  or  remedied,  and  such 
order  shall  be  forthwith  complied  with  by  the  owner  or 
occupant  of  said  buildings  or  premises:  Provided,  how- 
ever, That  if  the  said  occupant  or  owner  shall  deem  him- 
self aggrieved  by  such  order,  he  may  appeal  in  writing  to 
the  Director  of  the  Department  of  Public  Safety  within 
three  (3)  days  after  having  received  notice  of  the  decision 
of  the  Fire  Marshal,  specifying  in  such  appeal  the  reasons 
and  ground  therefor.  The  Director  of  Public  Safety  shall 
immediately  refer  such  appeal  to  a  commission,  which  shall 
consist  of  the  Chief  of  the  Fire  Department,  the  Chief  of 
the  Bureau  of  Building  Inspection,  and  the  Secretary  of 
the  Philadelphia  Fire  Underwriters'  Association.  Said 
commission  shall  carefully  consider  said  appeal  and  make 
decision  thereon,  and  its  decision  shall  be  conclusive.  The 
decision  of  any  two  shall  be  the  decision  of  the  commission. 
Failing  to  comply  with  the  orders  of  the  authorities  above 
specified  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  keeping  and  maintaining 
a  nuisance  detrimental  to  life  and  property,  and,  on  con- 
viction before  any  magistrate,  be  fined  twenty-five  dollars, 
or,  in  default  of  such  payment,  imprisoned  in  the  county 
prison  not  more  than  thirty  days. 

Section  10.  The  Fire  Marshal  shall  not  engage  in 
any  other  business,  and  he  or  one  of  his  assistants  shall 
at  all  times  be  at  the  office  of  the  Fire  Marshal,  ready 
for  such  duties  as  are  required  by  this  act. 

Section  n.  The  Fire  Marshal  shall  submit  annually 
as  early  as  consistent  with  full  and  accurate  preparation, 
and  not  later  than  the  first  day  of  January  in  each  year, 
a  detailed  report  of  his  official  actions  to  the  Mayor  and 
councils,  included  in  the  annual  report. 

Section  12.  The  Fire  Marshal,  his  chief  assistant  and 
inspectors,  may  examine  all  buildings  upon  which  any  fire- 
escapes  may  be  erected,  shall  see  that  it  is  kept  in  good 
order  and  repair,  and  no  person  shall  at  any  time,  place 
any  incumbrance  of  any  kind  whatsoever  upon  any  of  said 
fire-escapes  or  passageways  constructed  or  intended  for 
the  escape  of  persons  from  the  premises  in  case  of  fire. 
Any  owner  or  occupant  of  buildings  or  premises,  failing 
to  comply  with  the  orders  of  the  authorities  above  specified, 

132 


shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  keeping  and  maintaining  a  nuis- 
ance detrimental  to  life  and  property,  and  on  conviction 
before  any  magistrate  be  fined  twenty-five  dollars,  or,  in 
default  of  such  payment,  imprisoned  in  the  county  prison 
not  more  than  thirty  days. 

All  acts  or  parts  of  acts  inconsistent  with  this  act  are 
.hereby  repealed. 

Approved — The  8th  day  of  June,  A.  D.  1911. 

JOHN   K.  TENER.        ' 


The  foregoing  is  a  true  and  correct  copy  of  the  Act 
of  the  General  Assembly  No.  281. 

ROBERT  McAFEE 

Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth 


'33 


FIRE    WASTE   AND    ITS    PREVENTION 

Remarks  by  Mr.  Powell  Evans  Before  the  City  Club,  Phila- 
delphia, January  7,  19  n 

NOTE. — The  substance  of  statements  given  below  were  made 
by  Mr.  Evans  as  a  witness  before  the  Legislative  Investigating 
Committee  (N.Y.)  at  a  hearing  in  City  Hall,  New  York  City, 
December  23,  1910. 

MR.  EVANS  :  Mark  Twain,  in  his  "Innocents  Abroad," 
told  an  incident  of  a  camel  getting  loose  in  the  tent,  and  eat- 
ing a  number  of  substantial  things,  including  the  narrator's 
overcoat;  but,  he  said,  fortunately  he  did  not  get  to  the  note- 
book, for  if  he  had  struck  the  solid  facts  to  be  found  there,  he 
might  have  died. 

PREVENTION    AND    INSURANCE 

There  are  a  great  many  solid  facts  which  present  them- 
selves in  connection  with  to-day's  subject.  It  may  not  interest 
you  to  enumerate  a  lot  of  details  and  statistics;  but  it  is  im- 
portant to  consider  a  tremendous  burden  like  that  which  we 
bear  in  fire  and  life  loss  in  this  country  and  see  what  is  the 
matter,  and  what  can  be  done  to  help  it. 

I  think  that  no  man  who  goes  at  all  deeply  into  this  sub- 
ject can  fail  to  drop  the  carping  spirit  of  antagonism  or  of 
criticism  of  forces  now  at  work.  We  cannot  realize  until  we 
look  at  the  facts  how  difficult  it  is  to  hold  the  ground  already 
gained ;  but  it  may  be  possible  to  better  conditions,  and  it  is 
from  a  standpoint  of  impartial  and  friendly  investigation  that 
any  remarks  will  be  made  to-day,  certainly  so  far  as  I  am 
concerned. 

The  subject  to-day  is  "What  is  Philadelphia  doing  to 
protect  the  property  of  her  citizens?"  Now  that  suggests  an 
attitude  of  paternalism  which  does  not  precisely  appeal  to  me. 
I  was  brought  up  with  the  idea  that  every  tub  ought  to  stand 
on  its  own  bottom.  It  might  be  pertinent  to  ask  what  Phila- 
delphians  and  Pennsylvanians  are  doing.  Instead  of  asking" 
the  state  or  city  to  protect  us,  we  ought  to  turn  in  and  help- 
ourselves  a  bit.  That  is  one  of  the  crucial  troubles  in  the 
whole  matter  of  fire  waste. 

FOUR   ELEMENTS   IN   PROBLEM 

You  cannot  discuss  the  subject  of  fire  prevention  without 
bringing  in  the  subject  of  fire  insurance.  They  are  so  inter- 
related that  one  goes  with  the  other  necessarily.  The  entire 


fire  waste  of  any  country  is  a  loss,  and  that  loss  is  distributed 
over  the  people  at  large  by  a  tax,  and  that  tax  is  what  we  pay 
for  an  insurance  on  property,  together  with  what  is  burned  up 
without  insurance.  We  have  to  look  at  the  question  from 
many  angles,  from  the  standpoint  of  all  parties  concerned. 
There  are  usually  four  elements  to  consider:  First,  the 
government,  whether  national,  state  or  municipal.  That  is 
over  us  all.  There  is,  second,  the  form  of  contract.  That 
involves  legal  questions.  The  rate  questions  are  decided  by 
the  great  organizations  which  sell  insurance,  on  the  one  hand, 
and  by  the  commercial  organizations  of  the  country,  or  the 
buyers,  on  the  other.  These  four  elements  enter  into  the 
problem :  the  one  who  buys,  the  one  who  sells,  the  govern- 
ment, and  the  form  in  which  the  contracts  are  made.  Unfor- 
tunately, all  these  elements  are  organized,  as  a  rule,  except  the 
buyers  of  insurance ;  and  my  interest  is  and  has  been  for 
many  years  that  of  the  manufacturer  and  the  merchant,  the 
property  owner  all  over  the  country,  who  is  buying  insurance 
and  who  is  generally  very  careless  and  very  badly  informed. 

TAX    FOR    FIRE   WASTE 

The  total  tax  for  fire  insurance  includes,  first,  the  fire 
loss,  then  the  expense  of  conducting  business,  and  finally,  the 
profit  on  the  business.  I  was  very  much  interested  in  the 
actuarial  figures  presented  before  the  Legislative  Investigating 
Commission  of  the  State  of  New  York,  which  show  that  the 
best  of  the  companies,  ten  or  twenty  of  them,  do  not  earn 
more  than  ten  or  eleven  per  cent.,  including  returns  from  pre- 
miums and  from  investments.  The  Commission  itself  is  au- 
thority for  this.  Below  these  comes  the  secondary  range  of 
companies  whose  profits  are  down  to  six  or  seven  per  cent. 
So  it  is  obvious  that  the  fire  insurance  companies  are  not 
making  any  tremendous  profits^  The  steel  business,  the  street 
railway  business,  and  other  businesses  are  making  much  more. 
We  are  all  in  the  boat  together,  and  if  there  are  holes  in  it  we 
ought  to  unite  in  plugging  them  up.  We  should  find  a  way 
of  getting  a  lower  rate  and  reducing  the  loss.  As  the  basic 
bill  rises,  the  cost  is  sure  to  rise.  There  is  not  an  insurance 
authority  that  will  not  admit  that  if  there  is  a  fire  like  those 
at  San  Francisco,  Chelsea  and  Baltimore,  the  loss  is  distri- 
buted over  the  country  at  large.  We  know  it  is.  I  believe  all 
insurance  companies  need  regulation  in  some  respects.  I 
think  New  York  carried  into  the  general  income  fund  last 
year  a  million  dollars  from  taxing  insurance  premiums.  It  is 
like  lifting  yourself  by  your  boot  straps, — to  take  money  out 
of  premiums  and  put  it  into  the  state  treasury.  It  is  simply 
running  round  in  a  vicious  circle.  One  fun.damental  basis  of 

T35 


sound  state  law  is  that  insurance  premiums  should  not  be 
taxed  to  make  a  profit.  As  you  burn  up  and  your  tax  gets 
higher,  up  goes  your  automatic  premium.  What  we  want  is 
less  waste,  and  that  is  the  whole  doctrine  of  fire  prevention. 

FIRE    LOSS    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES 

Just  a  word  on  some  of  the  solid  facts  that  the  camel 
didn't  get.  The  ten  year  average  of  fire  losses  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  up  to  1898  was  about  $200,000,000.  For 
1907  the  loss  was  $215,000,000;  for  1908,  $241,000,000;  for 
1909,  $204,000,000,  and  for  1910,  $234,000,000.  For  1910  we 
had  a  good  Christmas  present  by  having  $30,000,000  more 
burned  up  than  in  the  year  before.  Insurance  authorities 
average  the  loss  at  $250,000,000  a  year,  and  they  have  ample 
authority  for  doing  so.  The  United  States  Government,  in 
the  Geodetic  Survey  Bureau,  went  into  the  question  fully  and 
brought  the  amount  up  to  $400,000,000  total  cost,  including 
fire  loss,  and  the  cost  of  fire  departments  and  patrols.  I  be- 
lieve this  estimate  is  correct,  though  $250,000,000  is  quite 
enough  for  me,  for  it  means  five  hundred  dollars  per  minute 
for  every  minute  in  the  twenty-four  hours  and  for  every  day 
in  the  year;  and  every  hour  we  burn  a  certain  percentage  of 
human  life.  We  have  recently  had  excellent  examples  of  the 
average,  here  and  in  Cincinnati  and  in  Chicago,  and  a  sad 
average  it  is.  We  have  another  thing  which  many  shrewd 
business  men  do  not  realize.  We  have  interruption  of  business. 
A  man  who  pays  one  per  cent,  insurance  is  paying  on  the  risk, 
so  measured,  of  his  building  burning.  If  his  building  burns 
he  loses  something  further  through  the  interruption  of  his 
business,  a  loss  which  has  bankrupted  many  a  merchant.  All 
these  things  travel  together. 

COMPARISON    WITH    OTHER    COUNTRIES 

In  regard  to  these  totals,  the  question  arises,  have  we 
anything  to  quarrel  about  after  all  ?  We  have  to  compare  like 
things  under  like  conditions  to  get  a  fair  analysis.  We  natur- 
ally go  to  other  countries  of  like  intelligence  and  progress  to 
see  how  they  stand.  In  six  countries  in  western  Europe  we 
have  33  cents  per  capita  fire  loss,  and  in  this  country  over  $3. 
We  are  just  about  nine  or  ten  times  worse  off  than  they  are. 
Anybody  who  makes  the  most  cursory  investigation  in  this 
matter  feels  that  we  should  call  a  halt,  and  take  an  account  of 
stock.  The  insurance  companies  get  on  the  average  $1.40  for 
every  dollar  of  insured  property  burned  in  this  country.  I 
won't  say  that  is  within  a  cent  or  a  fraction  of  a  cent,  but  in 
rough  averages  that  is  about  right.  Out  of  every  dollar  they 
pay  60  per  cent,  jn  fire  loss,  and  the  rest  goes  into  expenses, 


taxes,  profits  and  all  that.  Obviously,  if  the  whole  fire  loss 
decreased,  their  own  competition  would  provide  that  they 
would  sell  this  protection  for  less  money,  and  in  practice  it 
works ;  you  can  get  thousands  of  examples  whenever  you  want 
them.  If  we  have  all  this  waste  here,  with  all  the  damage  it 
is  doing,  which  does  not  exist  in  other  countries,  the  most  im- 
portant question  is,  Why?  In  the  first  place  we  have  too 
much  wood  used  here  in  construction,  and  too  many  badly 
built  buildings.  We  need  legislation  on  this  point.  We  want 
to  call  a  halt  on  leaving  the  bad  buildings  we  have  as  they  are. 
We  want  to  protect  and  improve  these  buildings  as  long  as  it 
is  a  reasonable  commercial  proposition.  Given  the  best  build- 
ings, and  the  best  fire  protection,  we  must  then  give  some  at- 
tention to  occupancy.  One  of  the  most  criminal  causes  of  fire 
waste  in  this  country  is  the  dirty,  filthy  housekeeping  of  the 
people  as  a  nation — not  particularly  in  their  homes,  but  in  their 
places  of  business.  There  are  two  great  causes  for  this.  First 
of  all,  public  opinion  is  indifferent,  and  in  the  second  place, 
there  is  a  lack  of  thrift.  In  addition  the  laws  are  bad,  and 
these  are  imperfectly  enforced.  It  is,  fortunately,  all  change- 
able. The  question  is  whether  we  will  do  it. 

NEED   PLAN    OF    CONCERTED    ACTION 

After  considering  what  we  want  to  do,  the  next  thing  is 
how  we  want  to  do  it.  I  have  been  interested  in  this  work 
from  the  standpoint  of  an  engineer  and  a  merchant  for  twenty 
years,  and  as  a  student  here  and  abroad  for  five  years,  and  I 
have  had  good  opportunities  of  seeing  the  working  of  the 
whole  machinery.  We  have  to-day,  in  the  literature  of  this 
country,  authoritative  information  about  how  to  build  right. 
Not  that  we  need  no  more  information,  but  we  have  all  that 
is  essential.  We  have  knowledge,  based  on  sound  practice,  of 
how  to  prepare  laws  and  how  to  enforce  them.  What  we  need 
is  more  concert  of  action.  I  have  stated  an  ideal  problem; 
ideal  within  practical  lines.  We  cannot  do  it  all  in  one  year, 
and  not  all  in  one  generation,  but  if  we  don't  start  we  will 
never  do  it.  Any  man  here,  who  has  a  mill  or  store  and 
knows  there  is  a  minimum  production  capacity  or  a  minimum 
gross  storage  needed,  might  begin  a  wing  here  and  there,  but 
he  would  have  a  co-ordinated  plan  of  the  entire  structure  to 
start  with.  That  is  all  I  plead  for  in  this  city  and  state,  that 
we  set  out  the  plan  entire  in  the  first  instance  and  then  take 
what  steps  we  can  to  commence  it.  That  plan  embraces  what 
seems  a  large  program  of  legislation,  but  it  is  all  workable.  I 
don't  think  any  of  us  want  more  law,  but  sometimes  the  best 
way  to  clear  up  a  matter  is  to  wipe  out  a  whole  lot  of  bad 
laws  and  put  one  good  law  in  their  stead. 

137 


UNIFORM     INSURANCE    POLICY 

In  the  first  place,  we  want  a  uniform  fire  insurance  policy. 
The  American  Bar  Association,  through  its  committee  on  uni- 
form laws,  is  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that  that  is  a  necessity. 
You  could  cut  fire  waste  in  this  city  down  to  nothing,  and  it 
would  not  materially  affect  the  averages  that  you  have  to  pay 
for  insurance,  because  the  average  is  based  on  what  the  United 
States  is  burning  up.  In  a  somewhat  larger  way  you  cannot 
improve  conditions  by  legislation  in  Pennsylvania  alone.  If 
you  put  too  much  pressure  on  the  insurance  companies  they 
will  leave  the  state.  On  the  other  hand,  we  cannot  get  na- 
tional legislation.  But  we  can  cooperate  with  other  states  in 
doing  the  same  thing,  and  it  will  in  time  make  a  more  uniform 
practice.  Within  the  state,  we  have  all  power. 

The  basis  of  credit  in  every  deed  of  trust  to-day,  in  al- 
most every  merchant's  sale  of  a  bill  of  goods,  is  the  assurance 
that  the  money  not  paid  is  protected  by  insurance  policies.  In 
England  ten  years  is  usually  the  length  of  each  contract.  Here 
the  time  is  more  limited  and  there  is  more  competition.  But 
insurance  is  a  basis  of  credit  to-day.  Therefore,  the  contract 
should  be  readable  by  all  men,  and  identical  in  essentials  with 
the  same  kind  of  contract  everywhere.  If  you  have  a  thou- 
sand or  ten  thousand  accounts  over  the  country,  you  have  not 
time  to  investigate  every  instrument  or  rider.  There  should 
be  a  uniform  policy,  and  it  should  be  simpler,  clearer  and 
somewhat  sounder  than  it  is  to-day.  The  interests  that  should 
unite  to  draw  such  a  contract  are  these:  The  committee  on 
uniform  laws  of  the  American  Bar  Association,  the  insurance 
department  of  this  state,  a  representative  of  the  fire  under- 
writers' organization  in  this  state,  and  a  representative  of  the 
combined  trade  associations  of  this  state.  You  want  those 
four  views.  You  want  the  state,  the  buyer,  the  seller,  and 
counsel  to  help  draw  up  a  proper  contract.  Such  a  contract 
should  be  pushed  by  the  business  men  of  this  state.  They 
should  demand  it,  compromise  on  it,  and  get  it  passed. 

THE   STATE   FIRE    MARSHAL 

The  second  thing  you  want  is  such  sound  and  honest  in- 
spection of  financial  conditions  of  insurance  companies  that 
the  mere  fact  that  a  policy  is  permitted  to  issue,  carries  its 
own  state  brand  of  solvency.  Don't  guarantee  the  policy,  no- 
body expects  that ;  but  when  you  put  money  in  a  national  bank 
to-day,  under  the  controller  at  Washington,  the  chances  are 
you  will  get  it  out  again,  and  when  an  insurance  company  is 
permitted  by  a  state  to  issue  policies,  that  should  automatically 
be  a  reasonably  sound  financial  guarantee.  That  is  a  reason- 

138 


able  thing  to  expect,  and  we  certainly  need  a  straight,  intelli- 
gent insurance  commissioner  at  Harrisburg  who  has  nothing 
else  to  do,  to  accomplish  this  end. 

The  next  thing  is  new  in  this  state.  Happily  it  is  not 
new  in  many  others.  It  is  a  minimum  requirement, — a  state 
fire  marshal,  a  man  sitting  in  the  seat  of  power  governing  this 
thing,  representing  the  power  of  the  state  government,  and 
having  jurisdiction  over  the  entire  state,  including  the  biggest 
cities,  Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh.  If  you  will  study  the 
operation  of  this  act  in  Massachusetts,  Ohio,  Illinois,  Wiscon- 
sin, Minnesota  and  Nebraska,  you  will  see  how  it  has  been 
worked  out  and  how  it  works.  The  fire  marshal  could  first  of 
all  give  you  a  straight  record  of  fire  waste.  To-day  nobody 
can  give  you  that,  where  there  is  not  a  fire  marshal.  The 
papers  do  not  give  you  accurate  facts.  Even  insurance  com- 
panies cannot  get  the  facts  for  their  own  business;  they  sim- 
ply have  to  average  from  what  facts  they  can  get.  A  fire 
marshal  should  be  empowered  to  demand  facts  and  get  them. 
The  correct  means  of  redress  of  any  wrong  is  first  to  under- 
stand what  the  wrong  is ;  second,  there  must  be  the  power, 
like  that  of  our  state  police,  to  send  people  to  the  point  of 
trouble,  and  put  in  force  minimum  requirements  to  correct  it. 
The  same  interests  needed  to  draw  a  proper  insurance  contract 
are  needed  also  to  draw  a  proper  fire  marshal  law, — the  bar, 
the  fire  organization,  the  business  organization,  and  the  gov- 
ernment. 

One  of  the  prime  causes  of  failure  of  fire  marshal  laws,  is 
failure  to  determine  who  is  to  pay  the  bill.  A  fire  marshal 
should  be  created;  everybody  is  for  it;  "Let  us  have  it,"  they 
say,  "and  charge  it  to  the  insurance  companies,  at  the  rate  of 
•one-fourth  of  one  per  cent."  The  insurance  companies  say, 
"That  is  a  bully  thing  to  have,  but  you  must  take  it  out  of  the 
tax  levy."  In  come  the  farmers'  mutuals  who  say,  "Let  the 
big  fellow  pay  it."  Through  these  circumstances  60  per  cent, 
of  the  fire  marshal  legislation  proposed  has  been  abortive.  It 
is  right  that  the  insurance  company  should  pay  some  of  this, 
but  take  some  out  of  the  tax  levy,  and  if  more  is  taken  out 
than  it  costs,  put  it  back  in  that  fund,  and  not  return  it  to  the 
general  tax  levy.  I  think  we  could  get  a  law  through  in  this 
.state  on  this  compromise. 

LICENSING    OF 'BROKERS 

The  next  thing  required  is  a  proper  licensing  of  brok- 
ers. That  is  where  there  is  more  mischief  being  done  than 
is  generally  supposed.  There  are  many  leaks.  It  is  not  the 
brokers'  fault,  or  the  insurance  companies'  fault, — it  isn't 
anybody's  fault,  but  it  needs  attention.  To  sell  insurance 

139 


in  this  state  a  man  must  get  a  broker's  license.  He  applies 
for  a  license,  pays  ten  dollars,  and  if  he  has  not  killed  any- 
body or  been  in  jail,  he  generally  gets  it,  and  it  is  right  he 
should.  There  are  certain  things,  however,  that  the  insur- 
ance broker  should  do,  if  he  has  a  license.  In  the  first  place, 
whether  he  is  the  agent  of  the  applicant  or  the  agent  of  the 
company,  whether  he  is  the  agent  of  the  buyer  or  of  the 
seller,  when  a  buyer  of  insurance  pays  for  a  policy  and  the 
seller  of  insurance  issues  a  policy,  that  ought  to  be  a  valid 
contract  no  matter  what  has  happened  to  the  money.  There 
are  not  a  few  cases  of  carelessness  in  this  respect.  The 
small  merchant  gets  insurance,  and  if  he  doesn't  pay  the 
bill,  the  insurance  is  likely  to  be  invalidated.  That  ought 
to  be  safeguarded,  and  it  would  be  a  reasonable,  decent  lia- 
bility. We  don't  hear  much  about  it,  but  if  you  asked  the 
fire  chief  of  Milwaukee,  you  would  find  that  arson  is  a  seri- 
ous charge,  and  a  most  dangerous  thing  from  any  stand- 
point. Now  arson  comes  from  the  ability  to  get  improper 
insurance  too  easily.  There  is  not  a  man  here,  I  feel  safe 
in  saying,  and  I  know  very  few  men  of  my  business  ac- 
quaintance, who  would  decline,  in  asking  for  a  loan  from 
a  national  bank,  to  make  a  legitimate  statement  of  their 
condition  at  the  time.  It  may  change  to-morrow  or  next 
day,  but  at  the  time  it  is  a  fact,  and  it  is  required  of  men 
applying  for  credit. 

FORCED    BUILDING    IMPROVEMENTS 

Insurance  protection  is  a  guarantee  that  in  the  emer- 
gency of  loss,  that  contract  shall  be  paid,  and  it  is  just  as 
important  a  financial  contract  as  paying  money  at  the  bank. 
Therefore,  the  applicant  for  insurance,  when  he  goes  to  his 
broker  for  a  policy,  should  in  some  proper  form  make  an 
allegation  of  the  insured  value  and  of  the  total  insurance 
on  it  at  the  time.  The  broker  to-day  when  he  passes  on  an 
application  must  allege  that  he  finds  the  facts  as  stated; 
but  let  him  put  it  in  detail  instead  of  in  a  phrase.  That 
should  be  signed  by  the  applicant  and  endorsed  by  the 
broker  and  sent  to  the  fire  marshal.  Then  you  have  some- 
thing, and  if  there  is  a  loss  at  any  time,  and  it  can  be  shown 
in  adjustment  that  the  allegation  is  false,  let  that  man  suffer 
the  same  penalty  that  a  man  suffers  to-day  for  presenting  a 
false  statement  for  credit,  'under  the  common  law.  That  is 
all  I  ask. 

You  ask  for  an  insurance  policy  on  this  building.  The 
application  goes  through  to  the  insurance  rating  bureau  of 
this  city.  They  have  records  of  certain  things  the  building 
is  wanting  in,  and  of  what  they  would  give  you  in  the  way 
of  a  reduced  rate  if  you  improve  those  conditions.  The 

140 


broker  is  given  a  transcript  of  those  material  facts.  The 
broker  should  pass  that  transcript  to  the  fire  marshal.  Any 
live,  successful  manufacturer,  if  you  Cjan  show  him  how  to 
put  in  a  new  machine  and  save  twenty  per  cent.,  will  jump 
at  it.  Mr.  Carnegie  did  it  if  he  could  save  ten  per  cent. 
Now,  if  by  making  $1000.00  improvements  in  your  building 
you  could  make  a  saving  of  $200  in  your  premium,  then 
the  fire  marshal  should  be  able  to  compel  you  to  do  it. 

I  want  to  say  a  final  word  about  state  laws.  In  1891 
a  uniform  policy  in  principle  was  enacted.  The  power  to 
draw  that  policy  was  lodged  with  the  insurance  commis- 
sioner. In  a  legal  case  the  court  held  that  the  legislature 
had  no  power  to  delegate  the  authority;  that  they  had  to 
make  it  themselves.  It  won't  do  to  ask  for  bills  from  the 
legislature  which  are  unsound  to  pass,  because  they  will 
fail  in  action.  You  need  good  counsel  in  this  on  the  side 
that  you  wish  to  enforce. 

CO-ORDINATION    OF   CITY   AND   STATE 

After  we  get  the  state  machinery  in  order,  we  need  to 
look  after  the  city  machinery,  the  municipal  ordinance. 
Municipal  ordinances  should  be  subject  to  and  tied  in  with 
your  state  fire  marshal  organization,  and  should  be  co-ordi- 
nated with  the  work  of  the  insurance  commissioner.  The 
Ohio  law  will  show  how  it  all  works  in,  and  it  has  been 
working  well  for  five  years.  The  local  insurance  rating 
bureau  and  the  city  fire  marshal's  office,  the  fire  department 
and  the  building  permit  and  inspection  bureaus  of  this  city 
are  all  pretty  good.  I  never  heard  much  criticism  of  the 
insurance  bureau  that  we  have.  It  is  suffering  from  the 
sins  of  its  fellows.  The  city  bureau  is  doing  well.  I  heard 
some  hard  things  about  the  New  York  bureau.  You  will 
find  in  almost  every  city  in  this  country  that  there  is  no 
mandatory  limit  on  the  bad  condition,  physical  or  other- 
wise, in  which  buildings  may  be  kept.  There  is  no  limit 
to  what  they  cannot  do.  The  fire  marshals  and  firemen 
have  their  work  cut  out  for  them  year  in  and  year  out,  and 
if  we  pass  all  these  laws,  and  all  worked,  we  would  need 
all  these  men  yet.  They  have  a  difficult  job,  and  they  are 
not  working  under  good  conditions. 

PREVENTIVE    WORK    FOR    FIREMEN 

Now,  a  good  building  ordinance,  and  a  building  ordi- 
nance is  imminent  here  now,  should  cover  first  how  to  put 
up  and  protect  a  new  building,  and  reasonable  minimum 
requirements  should  be  created.  There  should  be  a  require- 
ment that  old  buildings  should  be  gradually  improved. 
There  are  many  good  students  of  these  conditions  who 
claim  that  where  fire  originates,  the  owner  should  be  pen- 

141 


alized  or  denuded  of  a  portion  of  his  collectable  insurance. 
There  are  two  very  important  detailed  things  which  could 
be  done.  The  first  thing  is  that  the  assessor  should  enclose 
two  blanks  which  the  property  owner  should  pass  on  to  the 
fire  marshal  semi-annually  alleging  the  condition  of  his 
buildings.  If  he  has  broken  any  law  let  him  bear  the  pen- 
alty. Chief  Croker  of  New  York  made  the  statement  that 
in  1909  out  of  12,000  fires  over  3000  came  from  faulty  com- 
pliance with  tenement  laws  of  the  state  of  New  York,  and 
from  filthy  cellars  and  hallways  filled  with  combustible 
material.  That  surely  should  not  be.  After  making  a  citi- 
zen go  on  record  we  need  to  know  the  facts.  We  need 
inspection  of  property.  Mayor  Reyburn  is  in  favor  of  the 
use  of  pensioned  firemen  in  that  way.  There  is  no  reason 
why  the  active  fire  force  should  not  use  a  portion  of  its  time 
in  familiarizing  itself  with  the  very  places  it  may  be  called 
upon  to  protect,  and  at  the  same  time  stopping  disorder 
and  carelessness  before  fires  start.  We  should  take  the 
position  of  the  Chinaman  who  pays  the  doctor  as  long  as 
he  is  well.  We  ought  to  stop  this  thing  instead  of  taking 
care  of  the  victim  afterwards.  There  should  be  reasonable 
regulation  of  explosives.  As  an  essential  part  of  that  ordi- 
nance there  should  be  publicity  in  the  records  so  that  any 
man  interested  in  the  economic  problem  in  his  community 
should  have  some  right  to  go  in  and  work  if  he  is  willing 
to  spend  the  time,  activity  and  thought. 

THE   FUNCTION    OF   THE   CITY    CLUB 

To  get  up  a  proper  building  ordinance  you  should  con- 
sult the  following  authorities :  On  material,  the  United 
States  Bureau  of  the  Geodetic  Survey  at  Washington  which 
formulates  details  for  the  construction  of  post-office  and 
customs  buildings,  they  rely,  as  many  other  countries  do, 
on  good  building  to  prevent  fire  waste;  second,  local  busi- 
ness associations;  third,  local  insurance  associations; 
fourth,  architects'  and  engineers'  associations,  including  the 
American  Waterworks  Association ;  and  finally,  the  con- 
tractors and  builders.  The  function  of  a  Club  like  this  is 
to  draw  these  essential  elements  together  to  draft  a  law 
which  would  be  satisfactory  to  all  concerned. 

I  am  still  convinced  that  such  a  program  is  in  order 
now,  that  it  is  reasonable  and  that  it  is,  more  than  all, 
workable  and  practical.  If  we  cannot  get  it  all,  let  us  get 
some. 

I  have  given  an  outline  from  a  business  and  engineer- 
ing standpoint  of  what  we  want  in  the  direction  of  fire  pre- 
vention, and  trust  I  have  not  trenched  too  much  on  your 
time. 

142 


FIRE    PREVENTION    AND    PROTECTION 
IN   NEW   YORK 

A  joint  committee  of  the  Senate  and  Assembly  of  the 
State  of  New  York  transmitted  a  report  to  the  Legislature 
February  i,  1911.  The  recommendations  of  this  report  (based 
on  extensive  evidence  from  numerous  sources)  led  to  the  pass- 
age of  the  first  Hoey  bill  for  a  New  York  State  Fire  Marshal. 


Following  is  a  reprint  of  a  report  from  the  New  York 
World  of  December  24,  1910,  showing  the  character  of  Fire 
Prevention  and  Protection  evidence  considered: 

PROTECTION  LAWS  AND  TRAINING  SCHOOLS  URGED 

Great  Annual  Fire  Loss  in  U.  S.  Shown  at  Hearing  to  Be  a 
Per  Capita  Tax  of  $3. 

Frank  R.  Chambers,  senior  partner  of  Rogers,  Peet  & 
Co.,  and  chairman  of  the  Fire  Insurance  Committee  of  the 
Merchants'  Association,  attacked  Chief  Croker  as  "a  good 
fireman  but  twenty  years  behind  the  times,"  when  he  ap- 
peared as  a  witness  before  the  Legislative  Investigating 
Committee  yesterday.  Simon  Brentano,  President  of  Bren- 
tano's,  the  publishers  and  booksellers,  followed  Mr.  Cham- 
bers and  sharply  took  him  to  task.  Charles  H.  Israels  of 
the  New  York  Chapter,  American  Institute  of  Architects, 
also  came  to  Croker's  defense. 

The  spat  came  in  the  course  of  a  discussion  before 
the  committee  of  the  problem  of  fire  prevention.  The 
witnesses  included  Franklin  H.  Wentworth  of  Boston, 
secretary  of  the  National  Fire  Protection  Association,  and 
Powell  Evans  of  Philadelphia,  of  the  Fire  Prevention  Com- 
mittee of  the  National  Hardware  Association,  the  National 
Association  of  Credit  Men  and  the  National  Association  of 
Manufacturers. 

Mr.  Chambers  reviewed  the  efforts  of  the  Merchants' 
Association  to  secure  the  establishment  of  a  fire  prevention 
department  as  well  as  a  fire  extinguishing  department  by 
the  citv. 

"The  Mayor,"  he  said,  "has  already  shown  his  interest 
in  the  project,  and  your  committee,  Mr.  Chairman,  may 
be  of  service  in  the  matter,  for  it  is  likely  to  be  incorpo- 
rated in  the  new  charter  that  should  come  before  the  next 
Legislature.  But  fire  prevention  is  a  more  vital  problem 
even  than  the  putting  out  of  fires. 

143 


NO  GLORY  IN  PREVENTION 

"Chief  Croker  is  a  good  fireman,  but  he  is  twenty 
years  behind  the  times.  He  is  the  type  that  says,  'Let  me 
get  at  it  and  I'll  put  it  out/  but  he  can  find  no  glory  for 
his  department  in  going  to  a  fire  and  finding  that  it  has 
been  put  out  by  some  protective  device  within  the  building. 

"Put  sprinklers  along  our  avenues,  put  them  into  the 
small  stores,  as  they  now  are  in  the  big  ones,  put  them 
into  the  basements  and  the  storerooms  of  the  buildings 
that  are  tenements  above  the  street,  and  we'll  have  a  fire- 
proof city.  It  is  no  hardship  to  compel  the  installation 
of  sprinklers.  Their  cost  comes  back  in  better  rents  and 
in  lower  insurance  rates.  We  ourselves  put  sprinklers  into 
our  building  at  Prince  street  and  Broadway  as  a  protection 
to  a  stock  on  which  we  carried  $1,000,000  of  insurance,  and 
in  our  premiums  alone  we  saved  the  cost  of  the  system  in 
two  years. 

"The  law  will  .allow  me  to  complain  to  the  Health 
Department  if  the  man  next  door  to  me  annoys  me  by  the 
odors  that  come  from  his  carelessness,  but  he  can  maintain 
any  sort  of  firetrap  he  pleases  and  I  can't  touch  him.  I 
believe  that  the  law  should  allow  me  to  do  this ;  I  believe 
that  the  law  should  compel  fire  protection  and  fire  pre- 
vention, in  spite  of  the  fact  that  I  believe  we  are  suffering 
from  too  much  government.  But  this  is  a  matter  that  we 
have  got  along  without  for  too  long  a  time  already." 

"I  was  astonished  to  hear  Mr.  Chambers  say  what  he 
did,"  declared  Mr.  Brentano.  "Chief  Croker  is  not  twenty 
years  behind  the  times,  and  I  cannot  believe  that  he  or 
any  of  his  men  would  object  to  going  to  any  fire  and  finding 
that  it  had  been  put  out  by  any  sort  of  device.  I  am  sure 
that  if  Mr.  Chambers  had  thought  he  would  not  have  made 
such  a  statement. 

"We  all  of  us  underestimate  the  conditions  that  fire- 
men have  to  face.  Fire  prevention  is  a  problem  of  the 
greatest  importance,  but  while  we  are  working  it  out  fires 
have  to  be  put  out,  and  men  are  laying  down  their  lives 
to  do  it,  as  happened  only  yesterday  in  Philadelphia  and 
Chicago. 

"Our  whole  attitude  toward  fires  has  changed.  Once 
they  were  calamities,  now  they  are  only  incidents.  Any 
one  can  buy  immunity  from  loss.  The  question  has  become 
a  moral  one.  It  is  as  wrong  to  have  a  fire  as  it  is  for  an 
automobile  to  run  down  and  kill  a  man,  as  wrong  as  it  is 
to  kill  a  man  in  an  elevator  through  negligence,  yet  we 
have  no  laws  upon  the  subject. 

144 


"We  have  no  laws  at  all,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  on  the 
subject.  There  is  no  law  anywhere  requiring  a  fire  depart- 
ment, it  only  authorizes  them.  The  rope  that  dangles  from 
a  hotel  window  represents  the  one  law  on  the  matter  of 
fire  protection  that  is  on  our  books. 

NO  SCIENCE  OF  FIRE  FIGHTING 

"Our  knowledge  concerning  these  things  isn't  much 
more  extensive  than  our  laws.  There  has  been  no  science 
built  up  around  the  fire  problem  as  there  has  about 
every  other  economic  and  social  condition.  We  have  never 
had  a  large  fire  in  the  United  States  that  broke  out  where 
fire  authorities  thought  it  would,  and  yet  the  men  who 
have  passed  upon  these  things  have  been  men  like  Chief 
Horan,  who  died  yesterday  in  Chicago,  and  who,  through 
twenty-five  years  of  experience,  had  brought  himself  to 
as  high  a  plane  of  efficiency  as  any  man  in  America. 

"We  should  have  a  school  for  fire  extinguishers.  We 
should  teach  men  who  are  to  fight  and  prevent  fires  what 
fires  really  are ;  what  fireproof  buildings  really  are ;  what 
conditions  will  bring  certain  results;  what  conditions  will 
prevent  those  results.  We  have  no  standard  for  anything 
in  connection  with  fires ;  we  have  no  literature,  we  have 
not  even  the  experience  of  men,  who  have  fought  fires 
all  their  lives,  for  when  they  die  their  knowledge  dies  with 
fhem.  And  so  I  say  we  should  have  a  schojl  for  this.  For 
example,  it  might  be  established  at  Cornell  in  connection 
with  the  schools  of  engineering  there." 

A  graphic  picture  of  the  proportions  to  which  the  fire 
waste  of  the  United  States  has  grown  was  drawn  by  Mr. 
Wentworth.  He  has  been  Secretary  of  the  Fire  Protection 
Association  since  its  organization  in  1896,  when  it  grew 
out  of  an  effort  to  standardize  sprinklers,  and  later  to 
standardize  hose,  pumps,  extinguishers  and  other  protective 
devices. 

"Figures  gathered  by  the  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Labor,"  he  began,  "show  that  in  six  European  coun- 
tries the  annual  fire  losses  are  33  cents  per  capita.  The 
number  of  fires  for  every  10,000  of  population  is  eight.  In 
the  United  States  the  annual  per  capita  loss  is  $3  and  the 
number  of  fires  for  every  10,000  of  population  is  forty. 
Berlin,  with  a  population  of  3,000,000,  has  an  annual  fire 
loss  of  $175,000;  Chicago,  with  a  population  of  2,000,000, 
has  an  annual  fire  loss  of  $5,000,000.  Berlin  pays  $300,000 
a  year  for  its  Fire  Department;  Chicago  pays  $3,000,000. 

"Our  $3  per  capita  fire  tax  is  just  as  actual  as  if  a 
collector  compelled  its  payment  at  your  door.  Yet  the  man  in 

MS 


the  street  utterly  disregards  the  conditions  that  bring  it  about. 
His  cellars,  his  garrets,  his  closets  are  filled  with  the  rubbish 
that  fires  feed  upon. 

"His  stores  and  his  factories  are  no  better.  There  are 
a  thousand  factories  in  New  York  City  as  bad  as  that 
in  which  that  frightful  affair  in  Newark  occurred. 

TERRIBLE  FIRE  WASTE  HERE 

"Our  personal  habits  are  no  better.  In  Europe  when 
you  want  a  match  you  have  to  go  where  the  matches  are* 
Here,  we  have  them  on  our  mantels,  on  our  tables,  in  the 
drawers  of  our  desks,  in  the  pockets  of  our  old  clothes. 
If  we  wake  up  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and  cannot  in- 
stantly lay  our  hands  upon  a  match  we  feel  abused.  And 
every  match  is  an  incipient  fire ;  it  may  be  an  incipient 
conflagration. 

"The  fire  waste  of  $250,000,000  a  year — $500  for  every 
minute  of  every  hour  in  the  twenty-four — that  has  come 
in  the  United  States  touches  the  pocket  of  every  man, 
woman  and  child  in  the  land.  It  strikes  as  surely  as  in- 
direct taxation ;  it  merges  into  the  cost  of  everything  we 
eat  or  drink  or  wear.  And  it  is  created  wealth  that  is 
destroyed,  not  something  that  nature  will  restore. 

"Yet  people  go  on,  indifferent  to  it,  with  their  minds 
clouded  by  a  belief  that  the  insurance  companies  pay  for 
it.  How  could  they?  They  are  merely  the  collectors  and 
distributers  of  that  portion  of  the  tax  which  is  represented 
by  their  policies.  Half  of  it  they  never  touch ;  it  falls 
upon  the  householder  direct." 

A  good  fire  marshall  law,  Mr.  Wentworth  thought, 
the  holding  of  inquests  after  every  fire  and  an  effort  to 
establish  responsibility,  a  uniform  building  code,  the  aboli- 
tion of  shingle  roofs  and  the  isolated  storage  of  inflamma- 
ble and  combustible  materials,  were  urgent  needs. 

Mr.  Evans  proved  an  advocate  of  supervision. 

"There  ought,"  he  said,  "to  be  regulation  of  fire  insur- 
ance companies  as  there  is  of  national  banks.  There  are 
weak  concerns  writing  insurance  in  every  State  that  ought 
never  to  be  allowed  to  issue  a  policy. 

"The  habit  of  too  many  companies  is  to  regard  the 
income  and  let  the  hazard  take  care  of  itself.  At  the  time 
of  the  Baltimore  fire  I  was  told  on  the  most  reliable  author- 
ity that  not  a  few  insurance  men  looked  on  that  loss  of 
$30,000,000  as  a  good  investment,  from  a  commercial  stand- 
point. There  was  danger  then  of  a  weakening  of  rates, 
but  the  conflagration  drew  the  warring  elements  together 
and  the  level  was  maintained." 

146 


REALTY  SPECULATORS  A  FACTOR 

Mr.  Israels  told  the  committee  that  the  real  estate 
speculator  was  a  factor  in  the  fire  problem. 

"He  builds  no  better  than  the  law  compels  him  to/* 
he  said.  "The  loan  companies  are  partly  responsible  for 
this,  for  they  will  not  give  the  man  who  wants  to  build 
well  any  more  than  they  will  give  the  man  who  builds  just 
to  pass  the  inspectors. 

"And  while  I  am  speaking  of  this  I  would  like  to  say 
that  in  all  my  dealings  with  Chief  Croker  I  have  found 
him  most  exacting  and  careful  in  trying  to  put  into  every 
new  building  all  the  protections  against  fire  that  he  could." 


Subsequently  the  Asch,  or  "Triangle,"  fire  caused  the 
New  York  Legislature  to  pass  a  second  Hoey  bill  for  a 
Fire  Prevention  Bureau  for  New  York  City  (of  same 
general  force  as  Philadelphia  Fire  Marshall  bill). 

The  following  reprint  from  the  New  York  Journal  of 
Commerce  of  May  2,  1912,  tells  how  this  latter  bill  is  actu- 
ally operating: 

How  FIRE  PREVENTION  BUREAU  is  WORKING 

Is  Conducting  House  to  House  Inspection  Between  Chambers 

Street  and  34th  Street — Buildings  Where  Life  May  Be 

Endangered  in  Fire  First  Consideration 

A  conference  that  took  place  this  week  between  Fire 
Commissioner  Johnson  and  Chief  Guerin  of  the  Fire  De- 
partment and  the  Insurance  Committee  of  the  Merchants' 
Association,  though  the  discussion  was  an  informal  one,  is 
likely  to  bring  about  a  better  understanding,  it  is  believed, 
between  the  officials  of  the  Fire  Department  and  the  com- 
mercial interests  of  the  city.  The  committee  was  desirous 
of  knowing  from  authoritative  sources  what  measures  the 
Fire  Department  has  taken  to  give  effect  to  the  Hoey  fire 
protection  law,  the  enforcement  of  which  is  of  much  con- 
sequence to  manufacturers  and  business  men.  Particularly 
they  sought  information  as  to  the  work  of  the  special  Fire 
Prevention  Bureau  established  by  the  department  last  fall. 

The  committee  consists  of  John  C.  Eames,  of  the  H. 
B.  Claflin  Co. ;  C.  F.  Shallcross,  manager  of  the  Royal 
Insurance  Company;  Alfred  E.  Marling,  of  Horace  Ely  & 
Co.;  S.  P.  Benedict,  of  Benedict  &  Benedict,  and  Frank 
E.  Chambers,  of  Rogers,  Peet  &  Co.,  chairman,  with  F.  B.. 
Berard,  secretary.  It  was  hoped  by  them  to  learn  what 

147 


the  Fire  Department  is  doing  as  regards  the  enforcement 
of  certain  provisions  of  the  Hoey  act  drawn  up  at  the 
instance  of  the  merchants  of  the  city,  with  a  view  to  the 
reduction  of  fire  hazards.  These  related  especially  to  the 
prevention  of  the  accumulation  of  rubbish  and  waste  ma- 
terials in  cellars  and  basements,  the  periodical  inspection 
of  fire  prevention  installations  and  equipments,  such  as 
hose,  standpipes,  sprinkler  systems  and  the  like,  and  the 
inspection  of  buildings  for  the  removal  of  structural  defects. 

The  committee  believed  it  most  important  that  the 
first  matter  should  be  taken  in  hand  first  and  they  propose 
later  on  to  seek  similar  conferences  with  the  Superintendent 
of  the  Building  Department,  Rudolf  C.  Miller,  the 
Assistant  Corporation  Counsel,  and  other  city  departmental 
authorities,  so  that  without  undue  hardship  to  property 
owners,  by  approaching  the  latter  in  a  spirit  of  co-operation 
and  practical  sense,  the  heavy  fire  loss  of  the  city  and  the 
dangers  involved  may  be  diminished. 

"The  Merchants'  Association,"  said  Frank  E.  Cham- 
bers yesterday  to  a  representative  of  The  Journal  of  Com- 
merce, "has  long  been  trying  to  bring  about  improved  fire 
conditions  by  co-operation  between  the  fire  and  building 
departments  and  the  mercantile  community.  The  Asch 
fire  fastened  public  attention  on  the  necessity  of  various 
reforms  we  had  advocated.  We  were  anxious  to  know  how 
the  Hoey  fire  prevention  law,  passed  as  the  result  of  the 
Commission's  report  upon  the  fire  conditions  of  the  city, 
is  being  carried  out,  and  we  believe  it  will  clear  up  mis- 
understanding if  the  policy  of  the  Fire  Department  is  better 
known  to  the  business  community.  Commissioner  Johnson 
made  it  clear  to  us  that  it  is  the  wish  of  his  department  to 
co-operate  with  the  Building  Department,  so  that  in  new 
construction  the  requirements  of  the  two  departments 
should  be  known  to  the  architects  and  property  owners 
and  much  expense  now  often  incurred  by  owners  and  occu- 
pants should  be  saved  by  avoiding  mistakes  or  omissions. 

"The  great  thing  is  to  get  people  to  see  that  it  is  irra- 
tional to  spend  $9,000,000  a  year  for  putting  out  fires  and 
begrudge  a  few  hundred  thousands  for  their  prevention. 
The  fire  losses  of  the  city  may  be  put  at  about  $16,000,000. 
The  sum  paid  in  premiums  is  more  than  double  this  amount, 
and  adding  the  cost  of  the  Fire  Department  the  full  burden 
may  be  placed  at  about  $40,000,000  a  year.  The  business 
men  and  property  owners  pay  this  great  bill.  They  ought 
to  encourage  everything  that  would  reduce  it,  and  if  by 
taking  means  for  the  prevention  of  fire  we  can  do  so,  the 

148 


insurance  people  could  afford  to  reduce  their  rates.  The 
premiums  would  be  cut  down  and  business  men  would  get 
back  a  larger  proportion  of  their  investment  in  safety 
appliances,  the  installation  of  sprinkler  systems  and  the 
like. 

"It  seemed  to  us  that  the  first  attention  of  the  Fire  Pre- 
vention Bureau  should  be  given  to  places  where  life  is 
endangered  by  fire  risks.  One  of  the  first  practical  steps  to  be 
taken  is  the  removal  of  rubbish  which  accumulates  in  base- 
ments. It  is  the  practice  of  janitors  to  accumulate  much  waste 
material  and  sell  it.  A  spark  setting  on  loose  waste  was  prob- 
ably the  cause  of  the  Equitable  building  fire,  and  it  is  so  in 
many  cases  in  factories  and  lofts.  Property  owners  would  do 
well  to  co-operate  in  keeping  clear  their  cellars  and  basements. 
We  would  advocate,  too,  that  every  building  for  which  the 
basement  or  cellar  is  used  for  business  purposes  should  have 
sprinklers  connected  with  the  street  mains  which  would  give 
sufficient  pressure.  The  installation  would  then  not  cost  more 
than  $500  for  the  ordinary  three-floor  house  on  the  ordinary 
city  lot.  Many  little  fires  start  in  the  basement  floor  which 
would  quickly  and  easily  be  put  out  before  life  was  endangered 
or  much  property  damaged. 

"Commissioner  Johnson's  explanation  satisfied  us  that  as 
far  as  his  Fire  Prevention  Bureau  is  concerned,  with  the 
means  at  his  disposal  under  the  appropriation  allowed,  the 
bureau  is  busily  engaged.  He  has  seventy-five  men  at  work, 
and  on  the  average  each  is  inspecting  ten  buildings  a  day. 
Considering,  however,  that  there  are  250,000  buildings  in  New 
York  to  be  inspected,  the  force  appears  too  small. 


NEW  FIRE  MARSHALS 
Nine  Assistants  Taken  from  Civil  Service  List 

Fire  Commissioner  Johnson  yesterday  announced  the 
appointment  of  nine  assistant  fire  marshalls  at  salaries  of 
$1,500  each  a  year.  The  resignation  of  Edward  F.  Croker, 
jr.,  son  of  the  former  chief  of  the  department,  as  temporary 
fire  marshall  was  also  announced,  as  was  the  resignation  of 
David  E.  Kelly,  chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Combustibles. 

The  new  assistant  fire  marshalls,  who  were  taken  from 
the  head  of  the  civil  service  list,  are:  William  A.  Finn, 
Montgomery  Wade,  Rudolph  Dillman,  William  J.  Coen, 
William  F.  Walsh,.  Frederick  J.  Melvin,  George  A.  Lynch, 
Israel  Spielberg  and  Joseph  Whalen.  The  salaries  of  the 
old  assistants  were  raised  to  amounts  ranging  from  $1,800 
to  $2,500  per  annum. — Journal  of  Commerce,  New  York, 
April  21,  1912. 

149 


DAY  IN  NEW  YORK 

New   York,  April   24. 

Fire  Commissioner  Johnson  has  won  his  fight  to  have 
the  General  Postoffice  building  comply  with  the  fire  pre- 
vention regulations  of  the  Ne\v  York  Fire  Department. 
Johnson  announces  that  he  has  received  from  the  Treasury 
Department  a  letter  promising  that  the  changes  called  for 
fay  the  Fire  Department  would  be  made.  Some  few  weeks 
ago  the  Commissioner  gave  notice  that  the  building  was 
not  equipped  with  the  necessary  appliances  for  the  preven- 
tion of  fire  and  the  safeguarding  of  life. — The  Public  Ledger, 
Philadelphia,  April  25,  1912. 

NEW   BUILDING  CODE  FOR  NEW  YORK 

The  following  reprint  from  the  Insurance  Press  (N.  Y.) 
of  May  i,  1912,  explains  the  process  of  studying  and  pre- 
paring a  new  Building  Code  for  New  York: 

NEW  BUILDING  CODE 

New  York's  Proposed  Code  Free  from  Political  Preparation 
Municipal  building  codes  are  more  often  indicative  of 
political  chicanery  and  of  preferences  to  privileged  interests 
than  of  a  desire  to  improve  conditions  to  conserve  life.  This 
is  quite  manifest  in  the  existing  code  in  New  York  City, 
wherein  the  matter  of  property  is  of  chief  consideration. 
In  the  new  building  code,  however,  conservation  of  human 
life  is  given  first  consideration. 

The  new  code,  prepared  by  the  joint  committee  on  city 
departments  of  which  Benjamin  D.  Traitel,  ex-president  of 
the  Building  Trades  Employers'  Association,  was  chairman, 
and  Robert  D.  Kohn,  of  the  New  York  Chapter  American 
Institute  of  Architects,  secretary,  was  submitted  to  the 
Board  of  Aldermen  on  April  23,  and  referred  to  the  building 
committee,  which  will  hold  public  hearings. 

"Of  much  significance  is  the  membership  of  the  joint 
committee,  which  was  composed  of  representatives  of  the 
following  organizations :  New  York  Chapter  American  In- 
stitute of  Architects ;  Building  Trade  Employers'  Associa- 
tion, New  York  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters;  National 
Board  of  Fire  Underwriters;  American  Institute  of  Con- 
sulting Engineers ;  Brooklyn  Chapter  American  Institute 
of  Architects,  and  New  York  Society  of  Architects.  The 
Borough  Superintendents  of  Buildings  and  Chief  Inspectors 
of  Buildings  in  Manhattan  and  Brooklyn  were  advisers  to 
the  committee. 

150 


In  view  of  the  varied  character  of  membership  it  may 
be  said  that  the  code  is  a  harmonized  crystallization  of  many 
points  of  view.  And  it  is  certain  that  in  the  preparation  of 
any  other  code  the  deliberations  have  not  been  as  indepen- 
dent as  they  have  in  this  case.  No  preference  is  given  to 
any  particular  building  materials,  and  the  committee  has 
been  competent  to  solve  the  problems  confronting  it  with- 
out consulting  private  interests. 

The  old  or  existing  code  may  be  said  to  be  a  patchwork 
of  previous  codes  in  which  features  long  out  of  date  are 
retained.  It  utterly  fails  to  cover  present  conditions,  and 
the  only  relief  had,  has  been  in  the  discretionary  powers 
vested  in  the  superintendents  of  buildings.  Many  require- 
ments are  queer,  to  say  the  least,  and  there  is  nothing  spe- 
cific covering  the  very  important  feature  of  exits  from  build- 
ings. The  use  of  inferior  materials  is  encouraged,  and  those 
of  a  fireproof  nature  are  not.  Many  of  the  provisions  favor 
certain  trades,  as  for  example  the  requirement  for  undue 
thickness  of  walls  in  fireproof  buildings. 

In  the  new  code  an  attempt  is  made  to  cheapen  the 
cost  of  fireproof  construction  and  to  encourage  the  use  of 
fireproof  materials.  The  thickness  of  walls  in  fireproof 
buildings,  where  carried  by  frame  of  building,  will  be  13 
inches  throughout.  Exit  requirements  for  factory  and  loft 
buildings  are  quite  complete.  Change  of  occupancy  that 
might  require  different  application  of  the  requirements  of 
the  code  are  provided  for.  Buildings  are  classified  as  fol- 
lows :  public  buildings,  business  buildings  and  residence 
buildings.  Floor  load  requirements  are  made  more  specific 
and  those  covering  construction  of  floors,  more  rigid.  Re- 
inforced concrete  is  put  on  an  equal  footing  with  steel  and 
tile.  There  is  no  limit  to  the  height  of  buildings.  The  mat- 
ter of  fire  limits  is  left  open.  The  code  does  not  include 
classes  of  buildings  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  tenement 
house  department.  Architects,  builders  and  engineers  are 
not  required  to  register. 

The  provisions  of  the  code  of  most  interest  to  fire  un- 
•derwriters  are:  large  floor  areas  prohibited,  unless  build- 
ing is  equipped  with  automatic  sprinklers,  and  floors  subdi- 
vided by  fire  partitions;  stair  and  elevator  openings  re- 
•quired  to  be  enclosed,  the  Philadelphia  fire  tower  provided 
for,  and  the  very  extensive  provisions  for  the  protection  of 
•exposed  openings  in  buildings. 

The  code  puts  a  premium  on  the  use  of  fireproof  build- 
ing materials,  automatic  sprinklers,  wireglass  and  fire  shut- 
ters, which  is  an  innovation  in  building  requirements. 
Tests  of  new  materials  are  left  to  a  joint  conference  of 

15* 


borough  building  superintendents,  and  no  form  of  construc- 
tion will  be  debarred  because  it  is  not  provided  for  in  the 
code.  It  is  said  that  the  new  code  removes  the  negative 
influences  of  the  existing  code,  and  it  is  expected  that  new 
building  operations  will  be  stimulated. 

Moving  picture  theaters  having  a  capacity  of  less  than 
600  persons  are  not  provided  for  in  the  code,  as  a  separate 
ordinance  now  before  the  board  of  aldermen  covers  the  sub- 
ject. Larger  shows  come  under  the  heading  of  theaters. — 
The  Insurance  Press  (N.  Y.),  May,  1912. 


152 


"FIRE    INSURANCE    AND    PREVENTION    AS 
RELATED    TO    CREDIT" 

(October  7,  1909) 

Address  Delivered  by  Powell  Evans,  of  Philadelphia,  Before 
Fortieth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Fire  Underwriters 
Association  of  the  Northwest 

Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen:  This  subject  is  so  large 
that  it  touches  all  developed  property  and  the  whole  of 
the  commerce  of  the  country,  and  one  would  necessarily 
be  superhuman  to  have  an  authoritative  opinion  of  it  all; 
hence  as  briefly  as  may  be  I  will  reach  my  own  viewpoint. 

There  is  little  need  to  indulge  in  definitions.  Credit 
is  a  derivation  from  the  Latin  "crede" — I  believe.  It  is 
the  belief  that  any  obligation  will  be  met  as  agreed.  It 
embraces  the  moral  as  well  as  the  material  obligation.  Its 
warrant  is  sealed  by  the  fact  that  the  obligation  incurred 
is  finally  met.  Between  incurring  and  meeting  an  obliga- 
tion lies  that  gulf  of  the  unforeseen  which  we  bridge  by  hope 
and  belief — whose  values  are  measured  by  our  resources, 
knowledge,  caution,  courage,  energy  and  good  intent.  Yet 
-with  all  these  present  in  quantity  and  quality  we  must 
still  allow  for  the  elements  of  the  unexpected  and  the  un- 
controllable. Add  the  total  of  these  last  named  and  add 
further  the  cost  and  reward  for  providing  surely  and  ade- 
quately against  them  and  the  result  is  the  cost  of  insur- 
ance, which  by  methods  known  to  all  is  distributed  as  a 
tax  over  the  country  at  large.  It  follows  clearly  and  log- 
ically that  insurance  is  an  essential  in  sound  credit — always 
against  the  elements  which  experience  has  shown  on  the 
average  to  be  dangerous  and  widely  on  life.  The  creditor 
in  any  form  should  justly  be  relieved  of  the  risk  of  acci- 
dental or  elemental  destruction  of  the  basic  security  after 
taking  the  moral  and  commercial  risk  commensurate  with 
the  return,  even  without  such  destruction  being  considered. 
On  such  a  limitation  of  risk  only  can  average  solvent 
credits  be  continuously  extended.  The  borrower  who 
neglects  or  declines  to  insure  should  justly  pay  the  usual 
charge  for  credit  plus  the  cost  of  insurance  in  each  case. 
Hence  the  obligation  for  insurance  in  all  mortgages  and 
deeds  of  trust  and  the  wisdom  of  demanding  it  on  all  build- 
ings and  personal  property  and  merchandise  used  as  a 
basis  for  loans  or  credits  from  banks  or  generally  in 
commerce. 

153 


I  therefore  believe  that  in  principle  and  practice  safe 
insurance  and  sound  credit  are  inseparable  in  solvent  com- 
merce. Self  interest  as  well  as  this  principle  has  worked 
to  make  the  use  of  insurance  almost  universal,  but  the 
average  banker  and  merchant  of  the  country  yet  finds  suf- 
ficient negligence  on  the  subject  to  demand  a  sharp  eye  on 
this  element  of  credit  and  should  take  deep  interest  in 
sound  State  laws  regulating  it. 

Assuming  therefore  as  an  axiomatic  premise  that  insur- 
ance should  be  universal  on  destructible  property,  the 
logical  conclusion  is  that  insurance  should  be  (i)  safe  and 
easy  to  buy  and  (2)  as  cheap  as  controllable  conditions 
permit.  Insurance  is  a  paradox  in  that  it  must  be  cheap 
yet  dear,  and  easy  yet  difficult  to  obtain — that  is  so  sim-- 
pie  and  sure  in  contract  terms  as  to  be  understood  by  all 
and  so  low  in  cost  as*  to  be  purchasable  on  any  reasonably 
good  moral  risk  and  physical  fire  hazard,  yet  so  safe- 
guarded against  improper  purpose  and  so  dear  on  unduly 
hazardous  property  that  it  may  be  almost  unprocurable 
with  commercial  penalties  to  follow  this  condition. 

The  first  point  covers  the  whole  range  of  relations 
between  the  insured,  the  agent  and  the  insurer — the  proper 
form  of  policy  and  law  relating  thereto;  the  reasonable 
control  of  the  broker ;  the  energy  of  the  survey  and  inspec- 
tion bureaus;  the  financial  condition  and  solvency  of  the 
companies,  with  public  knowledge  of  their  condition  and 
their  control  by  the  State. 

The  second  embraces  the  subject  of  fire  loss  and  its 
cost,  and  fire  prevention — in  all  its  phases  of  building 
construction,  protection  and  occupancy — to  reduce  this. 

These  relations  are  so  ramified  and  interwoven,  as  you 
well  know,  that  they  cannot  be  briefly  set  forth  with  any 
degree  of  clearness,  nor  is  it  necessary  here  to  attempt 
more  than  a  reference  to  the  many  details.  All  the  great 
branches  of  political,  financial,  commercial  and  engineering 
problems  are  involved.  The  issue  of  paramount  importance, 
it  almost  goes  without  saying,  is  the  total  fire  waste  and 
related  losses  with  the  resultant  cost  of  insurance,  and  the 
method  to  reduce  both  of  these — in  fact,  the  broad  subject 
of  fire  waste  and  fire  prevention. 

Now  the  special  purpose  I  have  in  addressing  you 
today  as  a  merchant  and  manufacturer,  and  more  remotely 
a  banker,  is  to*  emphasize  the  fact  that  we  already  know 
that  all  these  problems  exist  and  one  by  one  we  know 
many  practical  methods  of  ameliorating  them  all.  We  have 
experts — individuals  and  bodies  of  men — who  point  by 

154 


point  can  advise  us  authoritatively  of  all  evils  in  this  con- 
nection that  are  excessive  and  how  to  grapple  with  them. 
We  know,  in  fact,  a  great  deal  about  what  is  wrong,  how 
it  is  wrong  and  how  it  can  be  bettered — in  detail.  We 
recognize  that  the  United  States  fire  waste  is  notoriously 
ten  times  greater  than  in  Western  Europe,  and  that  it 
should  be  practicable  to  reduce  it  at  least  two-thirds — and' 
yet  it  keeps  growing,  and  we  have  so  far  not  succeeded  in- 
•controlling  or  reducing  it.  Why?  Because  we  are  not  all 
pulling  together  and  in  the  same  direction  at  the  common 
load.  That  is  a  large  part  of  the  answer.  It  is  the  same- 
message  Aesop  gave  ages  ago  in  his  fable  of  the  father 
who  showed  his  sons  that  single  sticks  one  by  one  could 
easily  be  broken,  but  bound  together  were  unbreakable.  It 
is  the  old  motto,  "Divided  we  fall,  united  we  stand." 

It  will  now  be  well  to  turn  from  a  generalization  in 
some  particulars  to  sustain  this  view,  and  to  analyze  frankly 
the  situation. 

INSURANCE   A    COMPACT   FORCE. 

Insurance  in  this  country  up  to  the  present  time  has- 
been  controlled  more  by  the  companies  writing  it  than  by 
any  other  force.  They  compose  one  of  the  strongest  and 
most  compact  forces  in  trade,  organized  very  thoroughly 
everywhere.  They  are  within  the  law,  yet  above  it,  in* 
that  they  comply  with  laws  passed  to  regulate  and  control! 
them  which  are  enacted  often  despite  their  opposition,  yet 
by  virtual  combined  control  of  a  necessity  by  private  and1 
unincorporated  bureaus  they  assess  and  collect  toll  on- 
property  largely  without  outside  control  and  as  they  see 
fit.  The  survey,  the  rating,  the  adjustment — the  whole- 
Alpha  and  Omega  of  insurance  are  in  their  hands.  The 
materials  of  construction,  of  protection,  of  occupancy,  of 
buildings  and  contents  are  in  their  hands  to  regulate  as 
they  think  best  and  assess  to  the  limit  they  alone  determine. 
If  their  conclusions  are  not  respected,  no  insurance  issues 
with  all  the  dangers  and  disabilities  this  entails  or  exces- 
sive charges  are  made.  This  is  despotism,  but  on  the 
whole  it  has  proven  reasonably  beneficent.  Yet  it  is 
wrong — because  the  whole  subject  should  be  regulated  by 
forces  equally  powerful,  informed  and  organized — by  the 
buyers  of  insurance  on  the  one  hand  and  the  sellers  of 
insurance  on  the  other.  As  against  the  insurance  organiza- 
tion the  public  is  an  army  without  a  leader,  clustering  as 
regards  this  subject  in  haphazard  groups  here  and  there 
as  incidents  or  circumstances  determine  and  sniping  at 

155 


the  common  enemy  as  they  can.  They  don't  know  the  sub- 
ject as  an  engineering  or  financial  problem,  yet  they  feel 
the  restraint  and  are  suspicious  and  resentful.  Hence  a 
trade  body  here,  a  city  there,  a  State  elsewhere  are  always 
in  conflict  on  some  subject  with  the  insurance  organization. 
Mr.  W.  N.  Johnson,  one  of  your  profession  (of  Erie, 
Pa.),  told  you  this  in  his  address  on  "The  New  Gospel  of 
Publicity"  at  your  meeting  last  year.  Out  of  this  wide- 
spread but  largely  disassociated  interest  and  activity  against' 
fire  waste  is  a  crying  need  of  a  harmonious  principle  and 
plan  of  action  which  all  concerned  should  discuss  and 
agree  upon — then  proceed  actively  and  with  a  united  front 
to  get  into  practical  operation. 


It   will   not   be  out  of   place  here   to   enumerate   the 
•agencies  now  at  work  on  some  phase  of  this  subject: 

United  States  Government. 

Department  of  Interior; 

Geological  Survey   (on  building  materials). 

Department  of  Agriculture. 

National    Conservation    Commission    (in    State   Associa- 
tion). 
State. 

State   Fire  Marshals    (national  association). 

Insurance  Commissioners    (national  association). 

Fire  protection  associations. 

Municipal. 

League    American    Municipalities    (Mayors    in    national 

association). 
International   Association   of    Fire   Engineers    (city   fire 

chiefs,  marshals  and  commissioners). 
(Representing  fire  departments,  police — of  cities  all  over 

the  United  States). 

Firemen's  Association  (national  organization  of  city  fire- 
men). 
General. 

American    Bar   Association    (commissioners    on    uniform 

State  laws). 

National  Association  of  Credit  Men. 
Commercial. 

National  Association  of  Manufacturers. 

National  Electric  Light  Association. 

National  Electrical  Contractors'  Association. 

National   Association    Master    Sheet   Metal    Workers   of 

U.  S. 
National    Association    Master    Composition    Roofers    of 

U.  S. 

156 


National  Hardware  Association  of  U.  S. 

American  Street  and  Interurban  Railway  Association. 

American  Warehousemen's  Association. 
Engineering. 

American  Institute  of  Architects   (rebuilding). 

American  Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers. 

American   Water   Works   Association    (re   standard   city- 
water  supply). 
Stock  Insurance. 

National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  (with  its  engineer- 
ing committees;  notably  on  Fire  Prevention,  which  has  sur- 
veyed the  water  supplies  and  fire  departments  of  twenty-six 
(26)  cities)  ;  on  Lighting,  Heating  and  Patents  (including  the 
Board  of  Consulting  Engineers;  the  National  Fire  Protection 
Association;  the  Underwriters'  National  Electrical  Associa- 
tion and  the  underwriters'  laboratories) — and  its  associated 
"rating,"  or  "underwriting,"  or  "inspection,"  or  "survey,"  or 
"fire  prevention"  bureaus  and  exchanges  in  nearly  fifty  cities 
and  centres  all  over  the  country. 

The  National  Association  of  Local  Fire  Insurance  Agents. 
Mutual  Insurance. 

Associated  factory  mutual  fire  insurance  companies  and 
factory  mutual  laboratories  (engineering,  rating  and  under- 
writing). 

All  the  above  are  actually  working  at  some  or  all  the 
problems  of  fire  waste  and  prevention,  with  varying  inter- 
est, knowledge  and  activity — but  more  are  needed. 

I  made  the  suggestion  of  taking  membership  in  the 
National  Fire  Protection  Association — the  principal  source 
of  engineering  and  practical  knowledge  in  the  country, 
combining  as  it  does  stock  and  mutual  insurance  sources — 
to  the  National  Conservation  Commission  and  to  the 
League  of  American  Municipalities,  and  understand  both 
subsequently  took  this  step. 

I  made  the  same  suggestion  to  the  three  great  com- 
mercial organizations  that  in  a  measure  I  represent  here 
now,  and  they  all  acted  in  accordance  with  it. 

I  have  in  the  same  way  approached  the  American 
Bankers'  Association,  as  this  fire  waste  problem  is  a  credit 
consideration  of  vital  importance  to  their  interests. 

I  have  in  the  same  way  approached  the  National  Board 
of  Trade,  as  its  nearly  one  hundred  constituent  local  boards 
should  have  the  deepest  commercial  concern  in  the  prob- 
lem. All  trades  leagues  and  chambers  of  commerce  should 
show  like  interest  and  recognize  their  share  of  responsi- 
bility in  permitting  a  continuance  of  present  fire  waste.- 
conditions  without  action  or  protest. 

157 


The  National  Grange,  with  its  organization  covering 
-practically  every  State  in  the  Union,  and  including  some- 
thing like  a  million  farmer  members,  should  by  all  means 
t>e  brought  into  this  movement  because  of  the  average 
character  of  their  buildings,  their  isolation  and  their  need 
for  better  knowledge  of  this  subject. 

Real  estate  organizations,  trade  organizations  in  all 
lines  of  commerce  and  manufacture,  and  generally  all  public 
and  social  bodies,  are  morally  and  economically  concerned 
in  the  waste  of  life  and  property  from  fire  and  its  cost  to 
the  individual  and  the  constituent  nation. 

College  courses  on  fire  insurance  and  insurance  engi- 
neering are  now  part  of  the  curriculum  in  many  institutions 
.and  should  be  extended  and  encouraged. 

Finally,  the  daily  papers,  magazines  and  trade  journals 
should  aid  in  freely  distributing  broadcast  more  regular 
and  instructive  data  than  the  occasional  protest  and  hap- 
hazard notices  of  fires  now  usual. 

The  above  outlines  the  range  of  organized  activity  now 
Interested  and  which  should  properly  and  speedily  become 
interested. 

Does  any  person  or  body  of  people  desire  to  know  the 
-subject?  There  is  any  amount  of  facts  known  and  pre- 
pared which  are  easily  obtainable  by  any  one  interested. 

I  prepared  a  paper  on  Fire  Waste  and  Prevention  for 
the  first  conference  on  the  Conservation  of  National  Re- 
sources at  the  White  House  May  13  to  15,  1908,  which  was 
-published  in  part  in  its  proceedings. 

A  special  committee  of  the  National  Board  of  Fire 
Underwriters  followed  this  up  with  an  address  on  the  same 
subject  at  the  later  conference,  December  8  to  10,  1908. 

The  Report  of  the  Committee  on  Statistics  of  the 
National  Board  of  Fire'  Underwriters  of  May  13,  1909, 
includes  the  "Preliminary  Report  of  the  Fire  Losses  in  the 
United  States  for  the  Year  1907,"  issued  by  the  Department 
-of  the  Interior,  U.  S.  Geographical  Survey. 

These  papers  show  in  general  and  specific  terms  the 
problem  of  United  States  fire  waste  in  its  useless  and  hate- 
ful enormity. 

In  more  general  terms  good  viewpoints  are  presented 
in  an  article,  "Who  Killed  Cock  Robin?"  by  Mr.  A.  F. 
Dean,  a  well-known  underwriter,  in  the  Midland  Magazine 
•of  September,  1908,  and  in  an  address  by  Mr.  Franklin 
H.  Wentworth,  secretary  of  the  National  Fire  Protection 

1*8 


Association,  before  the  ninth  annual  meeting  of  the  Texas 
Fire  Protection  Association,  June  4,  1909. 

Somewhat  more  of  the  insurance  view  of  fire  waste  is 
presented  in  an  address  on  "Fire  Insurance  Rates  and 
Losses"  by  Mr.  Henry  J.  Furber,  Jr.,  general  counsel  of 
the  Chicago  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  before  the  Chicago 
Credit  Men's  Association,  April  15,  1908;  in  an  address  on 
''Fire  Waste,"  by  Mr.  Edward  T.  Campbell,  president  of 
the  American  Central  Insurance  Company,  before  the  Credit 
Men's  Association  of  St.  Louis,  December  10,  1908,  and  in 
an  address  on  "Fire  Insurance"  by  Mr.  George  P.  Sheldon, 
president  of  Phenix  Insurance  Company  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
before  the  National  Association  of  Credit  Men  at  their 
annual  meeting,  Philadelphia,  July,  1909. 

The  National  Association  of  Credit  Men  and  all  of  its 
sixty  local  branches  issue  the  above  addresses  in  pamphlet 
form,  as  well  as  a  series  of  six  circulars  dealing  with  the 
necessity  (i)  of  adequate  insurance,  (2)  of  having  insur- 
ance contracts  strictly  applicable  to  the  conditions  of  the 
risk,  (3)  of  dealing  with  strictly  responsible  insurance 
companies,  (4)  of  elements  constituting  the  premium  rates, 
(5)  of  protection  against  fire  and  (6)  of  company  insurance 
and  other  special  clauses. 

In  the  Annals  of  the  American  Academy  of  Political 
and  Social  Science  (Philadelphia),  1905,  appear  three  papers 
by  insurance  underwriting  and  engineering  experts  which 
show  very  clearly  from  the  experienced  standpoint  of  the 
writers  the  reasons  and  principles  at  work  in  their  respec- 
tive subjects: 

"Rates  and  Schedule  Rating,"  by  Mr.  Chas.  A.  Hex- 
amer. 

"Fire   Prevention,"  by   Mr.   Everett  U.    Crosley. 

"Standard  Fire  Insurance  Policy,"  by  Mr.  C.  Oviatt. 

On  the  latter  subject  Mr.  Henry  C.  Evans,  president 
of  the  Continental  Insurance  Company  of  New  York,  has 
prepared  a  model  form  of  policy  with  very  complete  refer- 
ences, after  long  and  careful  study  and  co-operation  with 
other  authorities,  which  modifies  in  many  respects  the 
widely  used  New  York  State  form. 

Mr.  D.  S.  Sawyer  (of  St.  Paul,  Minn.),  chairman  of 
the  Legislative  Committee  of  the  National  Association  of 
Credit  Men,  after  consultation  with  the  Commission  on 
Uniform  State  Laws,  has  drafted  a  model  policy  form  which 
perhaps  has  more  authority  behind  it  and  leans  slightly 
more  towards  the  insured  than  the  above. 


159 


THE  FEDERAL  FORM   OF  POLICY. 

On  the  subject  of  a  Federal  form  of  policy  as  against 
independent  State  regulation,  it  is  well  worth  while  to 
read  the  address  delivered  before  your  annual  meeting  of 
1905  by  Hon.  James  M.  Beck,  as  well  as  the  report  of  the 
Committee  on  Insurance  Law  by  the  American  Bar  Associ- 
ation at  Portland,  Me.,  August  26,  1907,  which  latter  tells 
in  what  respect  State  regulation  on  this  subject  has  failed, 
and  worse.  Both  agree  that  the  business  of  insurance  is 
interstate  in  its  nature  and  that  the  form  of  contract  is 
properly  subject  to  national  regulation. 

As  to  the  value,  even  the  imperative  necessity,  of  State 
fire  marshals  to  reduce  fire  waste  —  the  address  of  Dr. 
Clarence  Maris,  pyrologist  and  Assistant  Fire  Marshal  of 
the  State  of  Ohio,  delivered  before  the  National  Fire  Pro- 
tection Association  at  their  thirteenth  annual  meeting,  New 
York,  May  25  to  27,  1909,  is  most  illuminating  on  the  march 
of  this  movement  in  twenty  States  and  the  entirely  inade- 
quate reasons  why  it  has  failed  to  come  into  being  in  the 
remainder. 

An  address  by  Mr.  Charles  W.  Whitcomb,  first  State 
Fire  Marshal  of  Massachusetts,  before  the  members  of  the 
Ohio  Legislature  at  Columbus,  O.,  March  2,  1909,  is  still 
good  reading  in  connection  with  this  subject.  The  Ohio 
and  Connecticut  fire  marshal  laws  have  been  largely  based 
on  the  general  plan  of  the  Massachusetts  statute. 

There  is  certainly  a  widespread  agreement  on  and 
demand  for  the  movement.  The  American  Bar  Association 
Committee  on  Insurance  Law  presented  a  model  form  of 
State  fire  marshal  law  in  their  1907  report. 

The  annual  reports  of  the  Ohio  State  Fire  Marshal 
(especially  1907)  show  conclusively  the  reduction  in  life 
and  fire  loss  accomplished  in  Ohio  by  this  movement  within 
a  few  years,  and  the  annual  reports  of  the  Fire  Marshals 
for  Wisconsin  and  many  other  States  conclusively  show  the 
definite  improvements  in  fire  waste  conditions  in  all  States 
which  have  adopted  this  agency. 

The  Pennsylvania  State  Conservation  Commission,  of 
which  I  have  the  honor  to  be  a  member,  is  committed  to 
the  advocacy  of  a  State  fire  marshal  law  in  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  at  the  next  session  of  the  Legislature. 

I  cannot  pass  from  this  point  without  quoting  from  a 
recent  letter  from  Mr.  George  C.  Neal,  Deputy  Chief  of 
the  Massachusetts  Fire  Marshal's  office : 

"The  matter  of  the  investigation  of  fires  is  one  of  the 
most  important  that  I  know  of  in  criminal  procedure.     What. 

160 


is  everybody's  business  is  nobody's  business,  and  it  is  so 
difficult  to  secure  evidence  in  a  fire  case  that  unless  a  detective 
is  specially  trained  in  that  direction  the  work  cannot  be  done 
as  efficiently  as  it  is  done  by  a  fire  marshal  organization." 

On  the  regulation  of  brokers  a  careful  study  is  in 
progress  between  the  Insurance  Committee  of  the  National 
Association  of  Credit  Men  and  the  National  Association  of 
Local  Fire  Insurance  Agents,  which  tends  to  the  State 
examination  and  licensing  of  brokers. 

I  have  advanced  the  following  proposition  in  this  con- 
nection to  limit  as  much  as  possible  the  issuance  of  exces- 
sive insurance,  viz. ; 

Required  by  Law :  "Any  applicant  for  insurance  should 
make  application  in  triplicate,  alleging  to  the  best  knowl- 
edge and  belief  and  in  reasonable  detail  the  values  con- 
cerned. The  broker,  if  any,  should  be  required  to  so  check 
this  application  as  to  indorse  it  or  else  decline  it.  If  in- 
dorsed, the  insurance  company  to  issue  its  policy — should  it 
elect  to  do  so — with  the  application  attached  as  a  part 
thereof.  In  the  event  of  loss,  inquiry  and  adjustment,  the 
company  to  report  any  concealment  or  misrepresentation 
discovered  to  the  proper  State  officer,  whereupon — on  proof 
—the  same  penalties  to  attach  to  the  assured  and  the  broker 
on  the  application  as  would  lie  against  a  false  credit  state- 
ment for  bank  loans  or  merchandise  in  any  State — in  the 
absence  of  other  specific  penalty." 

Such  a  requirement  would  be  practical  and  inexpensive. 
It  would  force  the  applicant  to  know  his  own  affairs  and 
to  run  grave  risk  from  misrepresentation  or  even  care- 
lessness. It  would  force  the  broker  to  greater  care  in 
procuring  the  issue  of  policies  and  safeguarding  losses. 

Brokers  should  also  be  required  by  law  to  arrange  for 
payment  of  the  premiums  on  policies  procured  through 
their  agency  at  the  time  of  issue,  as  usually  failure  so  to 
do  operates  to  invalidate  the  insurance  which  the  assured 
in  taking  assumes  to  be  binding. 

Brokers  finally  should  bear  the  burden  of  so  shaping 
the  final  policy  issued — by  riders,  etc. — as  to  protect  the 
applicant  to  the  extent  agreed,  and  to  make  this  plain  in 
writing  to  the  applicant  in  advance — as  the  forms  of  con- 
tract are  not  easily  or  generally  understood  by  the  public. 

The  local  underwriting  boards  throughout  the  country 
are  largely  controlled  by  the  element  of  insurance  brokers 
instead  of  by  direct  representatives  of  the  insuring  com- 
panies themselves. 

The  interest  of  the  broker  must  naturally  lie  primarily 
in  the  direction  of  selling  the  greatest  amount  of  insurance 

161 


possible  at  the  highest  rate  and  getting  the  largest  com- 
mission on  it.  It  is  this  drag  on  the  broker's  mind,  interests 
and  actions  which  is  responsible  for  a  part  that  is  bad  in 
the  fire  loss  and  fire  insurance  situation  in  this  country. 

It  would  not  be  hard  to  pick  out  numerous  instances 
of  the  broker  soliciting  business  rather  than  sound  insur- 
ance and  making  the  way  as  easy  as  possible  towards  this 
end,  with  a  preference  rather  for  a  high  rate  instead  of  a 
low  one  on  the  theory  that  the  rate  would  cover  almost 
any  loss  that  would  occur — therefore,  better  let  it  be  high 
and  get  a  good  slice  of  it.  You  could  not  count  on  the 
fingers  of  your  hand  the  officials  of  insuring  companies, 
either,  who  would  not  oppose  this  view. 

MODEL  BUILDING  CONSTRUCTION 

As  regards  building  construction,  protection  and  occu- 
pancy, the  Model  Building  Code  (second  edition  1907), 
proposed  by  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  and 
the  New  York  city  and  the  Cleveland  codes  give  exhaustive 
data,  likewise  the  reports  of  the  National  Fire  Protection 
Association  and  the  lists  of  approved  materials  and  devices 
regularly  issued  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratory. 

The  printed  index  to  subjects  covered  in  the  printed 
records  of  the  National  Protection  Association  can  be  ob- 
tained by  any  one  from  the  office  of  its  secretary,  87  Milk 
street,  Boston,  Mass.,  and  will  disclose  the  vast  amount 
of  technical  engineering  study  and  investigation  that  has 
been  done  along  this  line.  All  members  of  the  association 
also  receive  regularly  the  Quarterly,  published  by  the  as- 
sociation, by  Mr.  Henry  A.  Fiske,  editor,  at  Hartford, 
Conn.,  which  teems  with  valuable  engineering  data  on 
building  construction,  protection  and  occupancy. 

I  suggested  more  than  a  year  ago  that  the  District 
of  Columbia  formulate  and  adopt  a  building  code  so  broad 
in  principal  that  it  could  be  employed  as  a  model  by  the 
rest  of  the  country,  but  after  consultation  with  Mr.  Mac- 
Farland,  one  of  the  Commissioners  of  the  District  especially 
charged  with  this  matter,  it  became  apparent  that  by  virtue 
of  the  limitations  surrounding  his  office  and  having  regard 
for  the  decisions  of  the  courts  controlling  the  matter,  their 
code  must  necessarily  be  strictly  confined  to  their  own 
necessities,  which,  due  to  the  peculiar  physical  conditions 
obtaining  in  Washington,  are  not  nearly  so  urgent  as  in 
many  other  great  cities  in  the  country. 

As  regards  insurance  and  fire  loss  abroad,  the  statistics 
gathered  in  1905  by  the  Bureau  of  Manufactures  of  the 

162 


Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor  through  the  principal 
United  States  consular  offices  in  Europe,  discloses  very 
clearly  why  conditions  here  are  so  much  worse  and  along 
what  paths  as  to  building  construction  and  insurance  con- 
tract regulations  the  way  lies  to  improve  them. 

A  long  article  in  the  Public  Ledger  (Philadelphia) 
February  i,  1908,  "Real  Estate  Guide"  supplement,  con- 
denses much  of  this  data  in  form  which  may  be  generally 
understood. 

Can  any  one  therefore  doubt  but  that  we  already  have 
very  full  information  in  detail  on  almost  every  point  in 
the  problem? 

Any  organization  in  the  country  which  interests  itself 
in  fire  prevention  can  for  $15.00  per  year  become  a  member 
of  the  National  Fire  Protection  Association,  and  any  mem- 
ber of  the  former,  therefore  can  become  a  subscribing 
member  of  the  latter  at  $5  per  year,  and  will  regularly 
receive  the  mass  of  authoritative  information  they  regularly 
distribute  on  the  physical  side  of  the  subject. 

This  is  the  simplest  and  easiest  path  to  knowledge 
about  how  to  fight  fire  waste,  and  if  I  may  venture  to 
suggest  it,  your  presence  in  that  membership  would  add  to 
the  list  of  good  examples. 

The  little  homely  truths,  which  nullify  much  of  the 
effect  of  larger  matters  well  cared  for,  should  be  kept 
always  well  to  the  front.  The  rat  and  loose  match,  the 
neglected  flue,  the  oily  rag  in  a  dusty  corner — all  these  take 
a  total  annual  toll  which  costs  the  average  citizen  far 
more  than  he  would  ever  guess. 

Any  one  can  learn  wherein  old  buildings  are  hazardous 
to  owners,  occupants  and  neighbors — and  cost  dearly  to 
insure — when  made  of  inflammable  materials,  with  con- 
cealed spaces  and  vertical  openings,  and  fire-spreading 
combustible  roofs,  without  standard  approved  tin-clad 
divisional  doors  within  to  arrest  the  travel  of  fire,  or  like 
shutters  or  wire  glass  to  keep  fire  from  spreading  in  or  out, 
or  automatic  sprinklers  to  detect  and  put  out  fire  at  the 
point  and  time  it  commences  within.  These  and  many 
other  reasonable  improvements  can  be  made  to  any  old 
property  and  usually  with  excellent  profit  to  the  owner  and 
occupant — yet  individual  initiative  makes  slow  progress,  and 
the  State  and  city  do  little  to  hasten  it. 

Any  one  desiring  to  erect  a  new  building  can  learn 
from  the  same  sources  every  detail  of  method  and  compara- 
tive costs  for  either  fireproof  or  slow-burning  construction 
— and  still  many  owners,  designers  and  builders  think  little 
and  care  less  for  this  phase  of  the  subject  until  often  too 


late — and  the  public  which  runs  the  State  and  municipal 
governments  allows  lax  laws  to  remain  when  good  ones 
could  easily  be  devised  and  enacted,  and  sits  quiet  when 
such  laws  as  exist  are  carelessly  enforced  or  sometimes  not 
at  all  if  they  touch  uncomfortably  any  one  with  "a  pull." 

The  data  is  at  hand,  but  there  has  not  been  adequate 
co-operation  and  compromise  among  the  mass  of  agencies 
at  work;  and  the  average  man  who  designs,  builds  and 
owns  property  so  far  seem  indifferent  and  has  not  acquired 
or  used  the  knowledge  collected  and  tested  to  anything 
like  a  proper  or  reasonable  extent. 

A  dull  student  of  physics  when  questioned  in  examina- 
tion by  his  professor  as  to  how  he  would  use  an  Aneroid 
barometer  to  ascertain  the  height  of  a  tall  building  replied 
that  he  would  tie  it  to  a  string  and  let  it  down  from  the 
top  to  the  street,  then  measure  the  string.  The  public  is 
now  using  fire  protection  knowledge  with  like  intelligence. 

What  should  be  a  program  to  round  up  this  data  out  of 
all  this  available  material  and  get  it  into  combined  forceful 
and  speedy  action  by  all  the  agencies  concerned? 

The  underwriters — even  with  their  growing  list  of 
allies — cannot  succeed  much  better  than  now,  with  present 
methods.  They  cannot  arbitrarily  press  the  public  too 
closely  in  requirements  or  charges  because  public  opinion 
is  not  sufficiently  enlightened  to  know  and  in  ignorance  is 
too  suspicious  to  co-operate  with  and  support  their  mea- 
sures— nor  are  all  of  these  in  present  form  sufficiently 
shaped  to  the  common  interest  or  in  all  respects  so  altru- 
istic as  to  be  entitled  to  unquestioned  support  without 
change.  Too  much  pressure  with  the  competition  among 
insurers  themselves  causes  the  loss  of  too  much  income 
sometimes;  and  the  State,  which  in  other  guise  is  this 
public,  has  not  yet  put  on  the  pressure  to  suppress  a  com- 
mon waste  for  the  common  good.  We  then  come  to  the 
solution  of  educating  the  public  and  concentrating  with 
them  on  a  concerted  expert  program  which  all  will  author- 
ize and  enforce. 

THE  PRINCIPLE   OF   PUBLICITY 

You  are  beginning  to  believe  in  publicity  as  a  principle, 
but  if  I  may  be  allowed  the  frank  opinion,  it  is  now  pur- 
sued with  too  little  concrete  plan  or  generalship  and  leg- 
islation is  being  sought  without  waiting  to  adopt  statutes 
on  which  all  should  be  agreed  and  in  which  all  should  be 
represented. 

164 


For  instance,  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters 
caused  to  be  introduced  into  the  Illinois  Legislature  March 
10,  1909,  a  resolution  providing  for  a  commission  to  pre- 
pare a  State  building  law,  in  which  they  proposed  that 
the  commission  be  composed  of  fifteen  members,  including 
representatives  from  the  American  Institute  of  Architects, 
Western  Society  of  Engineers,  the  National  Board  and  the 
Builders  and  Contractors'  Council. 

Such  a  proposition  to  my  mind  should  have  been 
drafted  after  consultation  with  the  commercial  bodies  con- 
cerned in  that  State  and  they  should  have  been  represented 
on  it,  as  well  as  the  underwriters,  architects  and  builders. 
If  this  form  of  State  legislation  is  desirable  all  the  interests 
concerned  should  be  considered  and  a  model  prepared  for 
use  all  over  the  United  States  and  thereafter  revised  with 
special  reference  to  conditions  for  each  State. 

Is  it  not  an  error  to  initiate  such  legislation  incorpo- 
rating only  the  views  of  a  portion  of  the  interests  affected 
instead  of  all?  Another  instance  that  may  be  cited  is  a 
bill  introduced  into  the  Sixtieth  Congress  (second  section), 
H.  R.  23,407,  Feb.  23,  1901,  by  Mr.  Flood,  to  create  a  com- 
mission to  prepare  a  code  of  laws  to  regulate  and  control 
insurance  companies  doing  business  within  the  District  of 
Columbia,  which  is  included  in  the  1909  report  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Insurance  Law  of  the  American  Bar  Association. 

Would  not  our  legal  friends,  who  desire  to  see  a  model 
on  this  subject  applied  to  the  District  of  Columbia  for 
the  benefit  of  the  rest  of  the  country,  have  been  better 
advised  if  they  had  counseled  in  advance  with  insurance 
and  commercial  interests  so  that  the  proposal  could  be 
understood  by  and  receive  the  -support  of  all  concerned 
instead  of  a  part?  This  principle  of  action  appears  to  me 
to  underlie  the  possibility  of  all  successful  advance  in  this 
matter  at  this  time. 


Let  us  now  consider  for  a  moment  what  should  be 
included  in  a  comprehensive  program.  The  National  Board 
of  Fire  Underwriters  in  their  report  of  1909  included  the 
substance  of  a  letter  to  the  National  Conservation  Com- 
mission on  this  subject,  in  which  they  recommend,  in  sub- 
stance (i)  educate  the  public  that  property  destroyed  by 
fire  is  an  absolute  loss  and  that  the  cost  of  insurance  thereon 
is  a  general  tax;  (2)  that  the  States  severally  adopt  and 
enforce  a  building  code,  demanding  improved  construction 
(based  on  their  model  code,  which  might  or  might  not 
on  analysis  prove  the  very  best  for  all  concerned  from 

165 


the  standpoint  of  the  assured  as  well  as  the  underwriters)  ; 
(3)  that  the  States  establish  and  maintain  fire  marshals 
with  proper  powers ;  and,  finally  (4)  (this  possibly  belong- 
ing more  as  a  corrollary  to  2  above),  that  municipalities 
adopt  ordinances  governing  the  use  and  storage  of  explo- 
sives and  fire  hazards  of  every  form  from  every  cause. 

As  stated  above,  I  believe  that  two  other  general  sub- 
jects should  likewise  be  included,  viz.,  (5)  that  the  States 
severally  require  the  examination  and  licensing  of  insur- 
ance brokers  and  (6)  that  the  States  severally  adopt  a 
uniform  insurance  policy. 

It  is  not  enough  that  any  one  body  or  any  one  interest 
related  to  this  great  subject  should  advance  such  a  program, 
no  matter  how  powerful  or  authoritative. 

.A  congress  of  all  interested,  limited  only  to  the  scope 
of  the  subject  and  the  limits  of  the  country — a  wide  range 
of  wrhich  have  been  enumerated  above — should  meet  for 
this  purpose,  under  the  auspices  and  direction  of  the  rep- 
resentative bodies  of  property  owners,  merchants,  manu- 
facturing and  transportation  interests  of  the  country,  who 
in  the  aggregate  pay  the  major  portion  of  the  insurance 
and  fire  loss  bills  and  who  have  hitherto  held  themselves 
more  or  less  uninformed  and  aloof  from  the  problem. 

This  congress  should  organize  committees  to  take  testi- 
mony from  every  authoritative  source  and  draft  model  pro- 
posals covering  all  the  great  points  involved,  viz.,  (i)  the 
legal  propositions;  (2)  the  engineering  propositions;  (3) 
the  underwriting  propositions,  taking  in  financial  phases  of 
insurance;  (4)  the  State  of  political  propositions;  (5)  the 
municipal  and  county,  or  in  other  words,  the  police  propo- 
sitions; and  finally  (6)  the  commercial  propositions  or  that 
hitherto  unexplored  view  which  trade  bodies  and  associa- 
tions of  every  sort  would  present  if  they  studied  the  sub- 
ject in  all  its  phases  and  formulated  those  intelligent  de- 
mands on  all  points  which  their  interests  would  warrant. 

To  gather  together  and  organize  such  a  congress  would 
require  a  vast  amount  of  work  and  preparation  and  quite 
considerable  expense,  nevertheless  I  am  convinced  that  it 
is  the  right  step.  It  should  be  thoroughly  representative 
as  to  the  bodies  brought  together  (both  geographically  and 
with  respect  to  the  interests  they  constitute)  and  as  to 
the  men  who  represent  them. 

The  program  resulting  from  such  a  movement  would 
have  such  weight  not  only  as  to  the  propositions  evolved, 
but  as  to  the  forces  behind  it  all  over  the  country  as  to 
stand  an  excellent  chance  of  enactment  and  indorsement 

166 


everywhere,  any  political  or  special  interest  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding. 

For  the  past  five  years  up  to  the  beginning  of  1909  the 
United  States  fire  loss  averaged  about  $750,000  per  day. 
For  the  first  eight  months  of  this  year  it  has  been  ap- 
proximately $136,000,000,  or  nearly  $28,000,000  more  than 
for  the  same  period  of  1908.  These  are  huge  sums — they 
are  all  absolute  waste — they  can  be  reduced  more  than  one- 
half,  and  I  believe  men  can  and  ought  to  combine  all  over 
the  country  to  this  end. 

If  it  lies  within  your  province,  gentlemen,  to  indorse 
such  a  meeting  I  will  be  very  glad  to  see  you  take  this 
'action. 

A  crying  need  to  my  mind  at  this  time  in  American  life 
is  that  of  more  thriftiness  and  greater  regard  for  the  petty 
economies  in  life  which  go  to  constitute  a  healthy  and 
continuously  successful  people.  It  is  the  lack  of  this  spirit 
in  the  country  which  is  the  father  of  the  whole  situation 
just  above  discussed. 

It  is  the  lack  of  this  spirit  which  taxes  every  individual 
in  the  nation  with  the  result  of  a  rotten  road  system  in- 
stead of  building  good  roads,  as  other  civilized  nations  do. 

Finally,  it  is  this  spirit  in  the  country  whch  is  respon- 
sible for  the  waste  in  health  occasioned  by  widespread 
lack  of  knowledge  and  interest  about  how  to  properly  cook 
the  best  and  cheapest  food  supply  of  all  lands. 

There  is  no  question  about  the  United  States  being  the 
greatest  country  in  the  world  physically  and  in  the  stock 
and  intelligence  of  its  people — but  at  present  we  are  too 
busy  and  successful  to  give  reasonable  attention  to  im- 
portant small  things. 

I  thank  you  for  the  distinction  conferred  by  your 
invitation  here  today  and  for  the  courtesy  with  which  you 
have  listened  to  these  remarks. 


167 


LEGISLATIVE    INVESTIGATING    COMMITTEE 

Exhibit  No.    W-7 

GEORGE  M.  SHOTWELL,  Official  Stenographer 
Tribune    Building,    New  York  City 

CONFERENCE    ON    THE    CONSERVATION 
OF    NATURAL    RESOURCES 

White  House,  Washington,  May  13-15,  1908 


FIRE    WASTE    AND    PREVENTION 

By  POWELL  EVANS 

(By  invitation  of  the  President,  Mr.  Roosevelt) 
Adopted  as  official  report  of  National  Board  of  Fire  Under- 
writers.    See  Proceedings  of  43d  Annual  Meeting,  May  13,  1909. 

This  conference,  remarkable  in  its  scope  and  composi- 
tion, owes  its  birth  to  the  economic  waste  in  many  direc- 
tions characterizing  the  National  life  and  activity  of  the 
people  of  the  United  States.  The  topics  of  greatest  impor- 
tance are  those  which  concern  the  undisputed  waste  which 
has  and  still  accompanies  the  use  of  our  National  Natural 
Resources.  Proper  consideration  of  these  questions,  how- 
ever, at  once  leads  to  associated  subjects  which  seriously 
affect  the  welfare  of  the  country's  entire  population,  and 
which  by  their  very  nature  can  only  be  indirectly  controlled 
by  the  National  Government,  but  yet  demand  prompt  and 
concerted  action  on  the  part  of  the  several  states. 

The  U.  S.  Inland  Waterways  Commission  and  Forest 
Service  Bureau  have  during  the  past  year  urgently  called 
attention  to  the  widely  ramifying  injury  inflicted  on  the 
country  at  large  by  the  rapid  destruction  of  our  forests. 
There  are  three  principal  causes  of  forest  waste,  viz.:  (i) 
Fire,  which  occasions  over  one-third  of  this  destruction ; 
(2)  the  size  of  the  lumber  cut  (about  40,000,000,000  ft., 
board  measure,  for  1907 — or  8  to  9  times  that  of  Europe, 
per  capita),  and  (3)  the  unnecessarily  destructive  methods 
employed  in  cutting  our  timber. 

Fire  loss  generally  in  the  United  States  is  closely  associ- 
ated with  the  first  two  causes  of  forest  waste  above  defined. 
The  tremendous  forest  fire  waste  is  paralleled  by  propor- 
tionate fire  loss  in  artificial  wealth,  as  will  be  shown  below. 
Obviously  the  admittedly  unnecessary  amount  of  all  this 
fire  waste  must  arise  primarily  from  thriftless  and  indiffer- 
ent public  opinion.  Public  opinion,  if  aroused  and  educated 
on  this  subject,  would  operate  to  reduce  all  fire  waste  tp 

168 


its  reasonable  proportions.  Again,  the  undue  fire  waste  of 
artificial  property  all  over  the  country  arises  to  great  extent 
from  the  use  (and  the  unnecessary  use,  as  better  substi- 
tutes can  be  employed)  of  too  much  timber  in  building 
construction. 

Restriction  on  the  use  of  timber  in  city  building  would 
operate  to  substantially  reduce  fire  loss,  and  at  the  same 
time  materially  reduce  the  demand  for  timber, — thus  re- 
quiring a  smaller  annual  cut,  and  this  principally  for  use  in 
the  arts,  where  no  satisfactory  substitute  is  obtainable. 

Hence  any  step  leading  to  reduced  fire  waste  would 
operate  to  both  elevate  public  morals  on  the  subject  and 
reduce  the  consumption  of  timber — a  twofold  help  towards 
forest  conservation. 


I  will  now  outline  the  size,  nature  and  the  initial  reme- 
dies for  the  artificial  fire  waste  of  the  country. 

The  danger  of  fire — in  destroying  property,  in  the  in- 
terruption of  business,  and  in  creating  a  permanent  charge 
on  income — is  a  menace  to  our  entire  business  world ;  while 
at  the  same  time  it  presents  an  ever  present  risk  to  life  in 
the  house,  the  shop,  the  factory,  and  in  all  places  of  assem- 
blage— all  of  which  touches  every  citizen  of  the  country 
closely  all  the  time  and  everywhere. 

FIRE  PREVENTION  is  the  general  term  applied  to  the 
science  of  so  constructing,  protecting  and  occupying  buildings 
as  to  minimize  the  danger  of  fire ;  and  must  not  be  confused 
with  the  narrower  definition  of  "Fire  Protection"  applied  to 
the  mechanical  aids  employed  to  discover,  resist  and  fight 
fire. 

The  annual  fire  loss  of  the  United  States,  on  a  ten 
years'  average,  for  the  years  up  to  the  end  of  1902  (prior 
to  the  great  Baltimore  and  San  Francisco  fires)  was  $146,- 
552,365;  and  up  to  1908  was  $198,181,188. 

The  tremendous  size  of  this  waste  may  better  be  real- 
ized when  measured  with  familiar  items  in  our  national 
expenditure. 

The  annual  ten-year  average  fire  loss  up  to  the  end  of 
1906  compares  as  follows  with  the  like  averages  of  the  items 
given  below: 

36%     U.  S.  Govt.  Total  Receipts $554,390,238 

37%     Net  Earnings  Railways  in  U.  S 542,274,762 

37%     U.   S.    Govt.   Total   Ordinary   Expendi- 

tares   — 532,018,1 16 

76%     Interest  paid  Railways  in  U.  S 261,044,569 

78%     U.  S.  Internal  Revenue  Receipts 253,400,164 

169 


79%     U.  S.  Customs  252,359,639 

122%  Dividends  paid  by  Railways  in  U.  S...  162,124,558 

141%     U.  S.  Pensions  140,861,166 

152%     U.  S.  Postoffice  receipts 130,201,926 

156%  Commercial  failure  in  U.  S.  (liabilities)  126,646,386 

157%     U.  S.  War  Department  Cost 126,465,728 

165%     Fire  Insurance  loss  payments   120,352,198 

180%  U.  S.  Gold  production   (coining  value) 

U.  S.  Silver  production   109,805,439 

242%     U.  S.  Navy  Cost 81,871,647 

648%  Interest  on  U.  S.  National  Debt  .......  30,568,000 

The  total  1907  fire  loss  was  $215,671,250. 

In  January,  1908,  by  far  the  worst  record  ever  known 
was  made  in  the  fire  loss  sustained  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  aggregating  $29,582,600,  approximately  $5,500,000 
more  than  for  January,  1907,  and  $12,000,000  more  than  for 
January,  1906  (including  460  odd  fires  exceeding  $10,000 
loss  in  each  instance). 

In  April,  1908,  the  United  States  and  Canadian  fire  loss 
was  $26,669,000,  approximately  exceeding  the  same  month 
of  1907  by  $5,000,000  (including  376  fires  reaching  or  ex- 
ceeding $10,000  loss  each). 

The  United  States  and  Canadian  fire  loss  for  the  first 
4  months  of  1908  was  $91,464,600,  or  at  the  annual  rate  of 
$275,000,000  for  both  countries  (the  share  of  the  United 
States  being  higher  than  for  any  like  average  previous 
period). 

All  these  figures  conclusively  prove  the  constant  in- 
crease in  fire  waste,  but  do  not  represent  all  the  cost  im- 
posed upon  the  country  from  this  cause.  The  cost  of  in- 
surance is  the  measure  of  this  amount,  and  even  this  does 
not  represent  the  full  cost  to  the  nation,  as  the  expense  of 
municipal  fire  protection  and  departments  must  also  be  in- 
cluded in  estimating  the  total  burden. 

About  630  stock  and  mutual  fire  insurance  companies 
during  1907  wrote  approximately  $30,000,000,000  of  risks 
for  which  they  received  $301,038,893  cash  premiums. 

Not  all  the  property  burned  in  1907  was  insured.  Nev- 
ertheless the  cash  premiums  received  by  these  fire  insurance 
companies  during  this  year  show  an  actual  average  cost  to 
the  people  of  the  United  States  of  $1.40  for  every  $1.00  of 
fire  loss. 

It  is  stated  by  fire  insurance  authorities  that  an  average 
of  60  cents  out  of  every  $1.00  of  premium  received  is  used 
to  pay  insured  fire  loss.  With  these  figures  as  a  basis  it 

170 


will  be  possible,  by  reducing  fire  waste,  for  the  public  to 
save  on  an  average  at  once  all  uninsured  value  now  burned, 
and  in  time  I  2/3  of  all  insured  values  now  burned. 


A  word  now  about  the  character  of  fire  loss  telling 
wherein  it  differs  from  any  of  the  pther  compared  items. 

Substantially  all  of  these  represent  mere  transferals  of 
value,;  whereas  Fire  Loss  is  an  absolute  destruction  of 
wealth — the  product  of  man's  thought,  toil  and  self-denial. 
It  may  be  asked  at  this  point  whether  this  waste  is  unrea- 
sonably large,  and  capable  of  being  reduced.  A  comparison 
with  other  countries  of  like  civilization  will  supply  a  fair 
test.  In  round  figures  the  per  capita  fire  loss  in  the  United 
States  during  the  past  year  has  been  $3.00  as  against  33C. 
in  the  principal  European  countries,  including  England, 
France,  Germany  and  Italy — or  nine  times  more  fire  waste 
and  interruption  of  business  (which  insurance  cannot  cover) 
in  the  United  States  than  in  western  Europe.  There  are 
certain  conditions  in  those  countries  that  operate  to  effect 
a  lower  fire  loss  than  would  reasonably  be  possible  here, 
viz.,  the  larger  use  of  non-combustible  materials,  due  to  the 
high  cost  of  wood,  and  better  building  codes  in  letter  and 
practice ;  the  lower  height  and  smaller  areas  employed  in 
their  city  construction ;  and  finally,  the  intangible  influence 
of  their  older  civilization,  which  makes  these  people  more 
careful  of  small  savings  in  all  their  affairs  and  generally 
more  cautious  than  we  have  yet  become.  Allowing  duly 
for  these  fundamental  differences  between  the  countries 
compared,  it  is  yet  apparent  that  the  nine  times  larger  fire 
loss  in  the  United  States  than  the  principal  western  Euro- 
pean countries  suffer  is  outrageously  and  criminally  greater 
than  it  should  be;  and  this  condition  must  arise  largely 
from  the  ignorance  and  carelessness  of  this  country's  people. 
Ignorance,  carelessness,  or  isolated  self-interest,  when  they 
result  in  the  tremendous  sacrifice  of  life  and  property  now 
habitually  occurring  among  us  from  this  one  cause  become 
nothing  less  than  criminal.  It  has  been  argued  by  some 
that  so  far  in  our  national  development  the  total  gain  to 
national  wealth,  arising  from  permissible  construction  of 
buildings  below  the  desirable  standard  of  fire  resistance 
(thus  enabling  men  with  limited  capital  to  engage  in  busi- 
ness operations  without  undue  expenditure  on  property), 
has  been  greater  than  if  too  restrictive  building  laws  had 
been  operative.  There  may  have  been  some  merit  in  this 
argument  applied  to  times  and  conditions  which  have  now 
passed,  but  should  we  not  now  unquestionably  on  the  evi- 
dence begin  to  rigidly  enforce  in  our  cities  a  higher  stand- 
ard of  fire-resisting  building  construction?  The  builder  of 

171 


combustible  structures  should  for  the  future  be  forced  to 
locate  in  safe  isolation  on  country  acreage  where  the  risk 
of  fire  will  affect  him  alone,  and  even  then  the  law  should 
not  permit  a  safe  measure  of  risk  to  be  passed  in  the  interest 
of  national  economy  and  the  welfare  of  other  persons  af- 
fected. In  many  European  cities  a  fire  is  held  substantially 
a  crime,  and  the  owner  of  such  property  where  it  occurs, 
regardless  of  size,  must  report  the  facts  to  the  authorities, 
and  is  charged  for  the  use  of  the  public  service  to  extin- 
guish it.  Every  consideration  leads  to  the  belief  that  this 
problem  needs  present  attention ;  and  it  is  incumbent  upon 
our  Governments,  trade  organizations  and  business  men  all 
over  the  country  to  make  themselves  felt  without  delay  in 
ameliorating  this  evil  and  unnecessary  condition.  Many  of 
our  business  men  now  know  more  or  less  about  this  matter 
and  apply  it  in  their  own  affairs ;  but  taking  the  population 
at  large  there  is  great  ignorance  not  only  about  the  fact 
that  fire  waste  is  as  bad  as  I  have  shown  it,  but  that  it  can 
easily  be  rectified.  The  facts  must  first  be  widely  adver- 
tised to  arouse  sufficient  interest  among  individual  citizens 
to  induce  them  to  study  the  subject,  and  as  far  as  conveni- 
ent and  permissible  to  apply  the  knowledge  primarily  in 
their  home  affairs.  A  weekly  fire  bulletin,  made  up  from 
the  municipal  records  of  the  cities  and  towns  throughout 
the  country  for  general  distribution  would  fully  disclose  a 
complete  list  of  fires  and  their  causes.  Next  to  this  source 
of  information  in  authority  and  completeness  of  informa- 
tion would  be  the  records  of  fire  insurance  organizations ; 
and  third,  statistics  on  the  subject  by  journals  continually 
publishing  such  facts.  The  result  of  this  constant  diffusion 
of  information,  and  its  absorption  by  the  public,  will  be  the 
bettering  of  existing  properties  by  structural  changes,  pos- 
sible and  reasonable,  and  the  improved  protection  of  these 
buildings,  and  the  more  cleanly  and  orderly  occupancy  of 
these  buildings — these  elements  constituting  the  gist  of  the 
reduction  of  the  fire  hazard.  It  will  further  result  in  the 
erection  for  the  future  of  more  non-combustible  buildings 
with  greater  regard  for  the  fire  hazard  than  has  heretofore 
been  the  rule,  because  with  the  owner  informed  he  will  see 
that  his  architect  or  engineer  gives  proper  weight  to  these 
considerations  we  now  discuss.  It  will  further  result  in 
awakening  the  individual  who  is  caring  for  his  own  needs 
in  this  direction  to  a  sense  of  the  danger  that  may  exist  from 
the  ignorance,  carelessness  or  sordidness  of  his  neighbor. 
A  group  of  city  buildings  reasonably  correct  in  construc- 
tion, protection  and  occupancy  suffers  less  from  fire  hazard 
than  if  deficient  in  these  three  respects;  a  block  of  build- 


172 


ings  correct  in  these  respects  is  more  than  proportionately 
safe  from  the  fire  hazard  than  any  one  group ;  while  an  en- 
tire city  properly  constructed,  protected  and  occupied  in 
practice,  cannot  burn.  It  is  the  germ  of  truth  in  this 
thought  which  was  the  basis  of  the  Napoleonic  code,  still 
the  fire  insurance  laws  of  France,  which  provide  that  the 
individual  must  in  a  measure  insure  his  neighbor  as  well  as 
himself  against  fire  loss.  I  therefore  repeat  that  the  indi- 
vidual who  studies  this  problem  and  applies  this  knowledge 
to  his  own  affairs  will  in  time  logically  ask  that  his  neighbor 
follow  a  like  course — if  not  for  self-interest,  then  in  the 
broad  social  interest  which  denies  a  man  the  right  to  injure 
another  under  the  law.  Such  public  sentiment  would  result 
in  better  and  more  uniform  building  codes  in  our  cities,  in 
better  water  supplies,  in  better  fire  departments,  and  gen- 
erally a  better  moral  tone  on  the  subject  in  every  phase. 
In  the  face  of  such  an  awakened  and  organized  public  sen- 
timent politics  would  not  dare  to  trifle  with  or  debase  any 
one  of  these  common  safeguards. 

A  few  years  ago  I  collected  copies  of  the  building 
codes  of  most  of  our  cities.  These  constitute  a  mass  of 
disordered,  undigested  and  conflicting  rules.  There  is  little 
difference  except  in  magnitude  and  congestion  between  the 
fire  danger  in  most  of  our  cities,  and  for  the  same  classes 
as  to  size  a  uniform  building  law  should  be  adopted  and 
enforced. 

It  is  a  condition  substantially  removed  from  any  ques- 
tion of  altitude,  latitude,  longitude,  local  policies  or  consid- 
erations of  any  sort  except  character  and  density  of  build- 
ings. The  United  States  Government  could  and  should  in- 
vestigate authoritatively  a  proper  building  code  for  adop- 
tion by  municipalities  all  over  the  country,  elastic  enough 
to  be  applicable  to  every  sized  city  and  town.  There  is 
neither  present  machinery,  appropriation,  nor  constitutional 
authority  for  the  federal  government  to  impose  such  a  code 
on  the  country ;  but  it  could  study,  formulate  and  impose  a 
code  on  the  city  of  Washington,  which  would  be  its  author- 
itative conclusion  on  this  subject  broadly  enough  consid- 
ered for  national  use.  All  persons  and  interests  favoring  a 
reduction  of  fire  waste  should  exert  their  influence  upon 
the  national  government  to  this  practical  end.  The  several 
state  governments  could  then  adopt  this  national  municipal 
building  code,  and  as  far  as  possible  influence  its  adoption 
in  turn  by  the  municipalities  within  their  borders — a  per- 
fectly legal,  practical  and  reasonable  method  of  bringing 
into  being  a  uniform  municipal  building  code  all  over  the 
country.  Uniform  and  concerted  governmental  action 

173 


against  fire  waste  from  above,  supplemented  by  widespread 
individual  action  against  it  from  below,  would  together 
result  beyond  question  in  early  and  drastic  correction  of 
the  evil. 

The  enforcement  of  the  building  code  in  any  city  is 
usually  accomplished  through  the  medium  of  the  permit 
and  inspection  bureaus,  and  in  many  of  our  cities  this  is 
tinder  cover  and  not  free  to  the  observation  of  the  average 
citizen.  Here  is  where  graft  may  enter.  The  law  itself 
may  be  good  (and  an  attempt  is  usually  made  to  concede 
this  to  the  public  because  it  must  be  exposed),  but  if  that 
law  is  not  honestly  and  actively  applied  and  enforced  what 
effective  result  can  come  from  it?  It  is  necessary  that  the 
individual  taxpayer  shall  have  the  right  to  know  that  these 
permits  and  inspections  are  honestly  and  efficiently  con- 
ducted. If  any  individual  wishes  to  know  whether  his 
neighbor's  cellar  is  cluttered  with  refuse,  the  contents  a  fire 
trap  constantly  menacing  his  life,  property  or  business;  or 
whether  it  holds  stores  of  spirits  or  benzine  or  gunpowder 
in  defiance  of  the  law  against  such  acts;  let  any  one  try 
to  find  out  the  truth  in  some  particular  instance.  It  will 
be  found  almost  impossible  to  get  at  such  facts. 

Few  know  the  risk  in  our  cities  to-day  of  some  "Tar- 
rant"  explosion  because  individuals  are  permitted  by  care- 
lessness or  worse,  and  in  secret  for  their  own  self-interests, 
to  follow  the  dangerous  course  of  storing  explosives  within 
thickly  populated  areas.  Such  instances  as  the  "Slocum" 
disaster  in  New  York  harbor;  the  "Iroquois  Theatre"  fire 
in  Chicago ;  the  Boyertown,  Pa.,  theatre  holocaust ;  the 
Collinwood,  Ohio,  school  horror;  and  numberless  fatal  fires 
in  factories,  hotels,  stores,  residences,  and  every  sort  of 
place  of  assemblage,  should  make  all  citizens  realize  how 
constant  is  the  life  danger  from  present  fire  loss  conditions 
to  themselves  and  their  families,  apart  from  and  above  the 
money  loss  involved.  Proper  regulations  may  not  exist,  be 
applied,  or  be  enforced ;  and  any  one  or  all  three  of  these  loop- 
holes constitute  a  great  and  ever-present  danger  everywhere. 

The  average  business  man  at  present  is  not  sufficiently 
alive  to  the  situation  to  think  or  care  much  about  it.  The 
average  insurance  man  is  not  troubling  much  about  it,  as  he 
takes  property  as  he  finds  it  and  charges  a  sufficient  rate  to 
cover  the  risk  whatever  it  may  be.  The  average  municipal 
government  is  none  too  active  in  the  matter  because  it  might 
trouble  some  voter.  The  average  State  Government  has  not 
troubled  about  the  matter  at  all.  It  is  necessary  that  the  atti- 
tude of  all  these  agencies  be  changed  if  this  evil  is  to  be  bet- 
tered. Of  all  the  possible  avenues  to  an  awakening  in  the 

174 


matter  of  sufficient  force  to  really  set  in  motion  an  effective 
change,  I  believe  that  most  progress  can  be  made  by  organiz- 
ing those  interests  which  have  most  to  lose,  viz. :  who  pay  the 
greater  part  of  the  cost — the  individual  American  Merchants, 
Manufacturers  and  Property  Owners  who  can  demand  with 
authority  the  enactment  of  uniform  state  laws  to  force  better 
conditions  in  all  municipalities.  The  necessity  of  bettering 
present  fire  loss  conditions,  as  well  as  the  ease  and  reasonable- 
ness of  the  movement,  should  appeal  to  this  conference  and 
enlist  the  sympathy  and  aid  of  the  conferees  in  advance  of  the 
inevitable  demand  of  their  constituencies. 

With  this  general  idea  and  purpose,  and  with  its  reasons 
explained  to  you,  I  now  propose  to  outline  as  briefly  as  possi- 
ble the  practical  course  as  I  see  it  which  will  initiate  the  ac- 
complishment of  the  end  in  view. 

Those  not  fully  informed  on  the  subject  may  now  ask 
whether  the  means  are  known  and  understood  which  will 
operate,  if  applied,  to  materially  reduce  fire  loss.  The  answer 
is  that  the  detailed  experience  of  the  fire  insurance  organiza- 
tions in  the  field  and  in  the  laboratory — thoroughly  detailed, 
classified  and  digested  for  years — provides  a  fund  of  sure 
knowledge,  which  if  widely  known  and  applied  will  yield  cer- 
tain results  (  not  conjectured  but  proved  by  wide  practice  over 
a  long  period).  No  one  can  sincerely  question  the  fact  that 
this  old  and  great  commercial  organization — solely  for  its  own 
interest  if  for  no  broader  reason — is  and  has  been  earnestly 
seeking  to  learn  the  true  causes  and  facts  relating  to  fire  loss 
and  to  discover  and  apply  remedies  to  lessen  it.  From  my 
observation  they  know  a  host  of  important  facts  and  remedies ; 
but  this  knowledge  is  now  bottled  up  in  a  small  expert  circle 
and  is  not  sufficiently  widely  diffused  among  the  public  to  en- 
lighten, stimulate  and  guide  the  average  individual  in  co-oper- 
ating to  correct  the  evil. 

The  Insurance  Organization  as  a  commercial  body  sell- 
ing fire  policies  may  be  as  selfish  and  as  much  in  combination 
to  get  a  good  price  for  its  commodity  as  many  others  of  our 
industrial  aggregations,  but  as  an  expert  Fire  Prevention  and 
Protection  body  they  are  watchful,  careful  and  accurate,  and 
it  has  invited  all  interested  in  the  great  problem  to  share  their 
knowledge  and  help  reduce  fire  loss.  The  old  trade  device  of 
committees  to  attack  the  insurance  bodies  and  hammer  the 
rate  without  touching  the  cause  has  always  failed  and  always 
will.  It  is  not  a  sound  effort  for  one  reason,  as  it  attacks  the 
effect  instead  of  the  cause,  and  for  another  it  attacks  an  op- 
ponent who  cannot  be  caught.  To  understand  why  this  is 
true  it  is  necessary  at  this  point  to  inquire  into  the  character 
of  the  insurance  organization. 

175 


Insurance  abroad  is  practically  all  written  by  stock  com- 
panies, conducting  their  business  with  their  own  capital,  at 
their  own  risk  and  profit,  at  fixed  rates.  The  policies  there 
are  usually  for  ten  years,  and  by  virtue  of  this  long  term  and 
their  incorporation  in  mortgages  and  deeds  of  trust,  they  are 
very  strongly  intrenched,  and  no  other  system  can  get  a  start. 
In  the  United  States,  on  the  other  hand,  competitive  insurance 
is  obtainable  on  the  best  risks  (mills,  factories,  warehouses, 
etc.),  from  the  Stock  Insurance  Companies  on  the  one  side 
and  from  the  Factory  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Companies  on 
the  other.  The  latter  considered  first — as  the  simpler  organ- 
ization— consist  of  about  25  companies  cooperating  through 
one  central  inspection  bureau,  who  confine  their  risks  to  such 
buildings  only  as  are  properly  built,  protected  and  occupied, 
so  as  to  be  only  slightly  inflammable.  The  insured  pays  his 
assessed  rate  into  a  pool,  and  recovers  annually  as  a  dividend 
his  pro  rata  surplus  over  the  payment  of  losses,  expenses  and 
a  small  investment  fund,  hence  the  term  "mutual."  This  in- 
surance has  become  very  large,  and  is  found  cheap,  careful 
and  safe.  To  meet  this  particular  class  of  competition,  promi- 
nent stock  companies  have  combined  into  Factory  Insurance 
Associations,  which  insure  a  large  amount  of  like  property  at 
a  comparatively  low  "flat"  rate. 

Stock  insurance  proper  cares  for  all  other  risks,  such  as 
the  bulk  of  city  property;  mills  and  factories  of  construction, 
protection  and  operation  below  the  standard  above  mentioned ; 
and  miscellaneous  country  property. 

For  all  these  last  named  risks  higher  tariffs  are  usually 
charged,  measured  by  the  sum  of  hazards  by  items  constituting 
the  final  rate. 

The  officers  and  agents  of  the  Stock  Insurance  Companies 
are  nationally  organized  into  a  rating  board,  and  further  in 
nearly  50  different  centres  into  local  Survey  and  Inspection 
Boards.  Out  of  this  Commercial  organization,  and  controlled 
by  it,  there  exists  a  national  engineering  organization  (Na- 
tional Fire  Protection  Association)  which  conducts  an  expert 
testing  plant  (Underwriters'  Laboratories,  Chicago)  and  co- 
operates with  the  like  "Mutual"  organization  (Inspection 
Dept.,  F.  M.  F.  I.  Companies,  Boston)  in  reaching  uniform 
conclusions  on  all  physical  questions  in  the  business. 

A  universal  rate  schedule  (based  on  known  facts,  princi- 
ples and  tests)  is  nationally  adopted.  Any  property  applying 
for  insurance  is  surveyed  or  inspected  by  the  local  board  hav- 
ing jurisdiction;  and  the  final  rate  is  issued,  arrived  at  by 
combining  the  universal  rate,  the  local  modification  of  this 
rate,  and  the  detailed  facts  concerning  the  property  itself. 

176 


It  may  now  be  seen  more  clearly  why  a  trade  body  com- 
mittee cannot  well  influence  a  reduction  in  insurance  rates. 
Either  the  committee  represents  a  trade  association,  spread 
over  the  country  and  weak  at  any  one  point  where  it  meets 
the  local  insurance  rating  power,  or  it  represents  any  one 
community  attacking  one  local  rating  board  which  has  the 
support  of  all  others. 

Hence,  I  say,  do  not  start  with  an  attack  on  rates,  but 
rather  the  causes  of  fire  loss  which  produce  those  rates.  First, 
better  conditions,  and  then  let  the  rate  become  a  commercial 
question  of  barter  and  sale  between  the  business  interests  pur- 
chasing it  and  the  insurance  companies  selling  it.  //  insur- 
ance is  made  to  cost  less,  it  must  in  time  inevitably  be  bought 
for  less. 

Here  I  reach  the  final  point  at  which  I  have  been  aiming — 
i.  e.,  the  suggestion  for  the  practical  step  to  be  taken  now. 

The  National  Fire  Protection  Association,  the  engineer- 
ing organization  of  the  insurance  world,  organized  and  oper- 
ated under  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters — the  na- 
tional executive  body  of  the  Stock  Insurance  Companies — is 
"an  association  to  promote  the  science  and  improve  the  meth- 
ods of  fire  protection,  to  obtain  information  on  the  subject, 
and  to  secure  the  cooperation  of  its  members  in  establishing 
proper  safeguards  against  loss  of  life  and  property  by  fire." 

Its  membership  consists  of  "active,  associate,  subscribing 
and  honorary  members,  but  none  is  pledged  to  any  course  of 
action  through  this  membership." 

Active  members  (each  with  a  vote)  are  insurance  boards 
and  associations,  having  primary  jurisdiction;  and  national  in- 
stitutes, societies  and  associations  interested  in  the  protection 
of  life  and  property  against  loss  by  fire.  The  annual  dues  of 
active  members  are  $15.00. 

Any  association  having  among  its  purposes  or  functions 
fire  protection  or  prevention,  can  become  an  active  member  of 
this  N.  F.  P.  Association  with  a  vote. 

Associate  members  are  individuals  engaged  in  the  fire  in- 
surance business,  and  individual  members  of  the  organization 
represented  in  the  active  membership.  The  annual  dues  of 
associate  members  are  $5.00. 

Every  member  therefore  of  any  such  association  can  in 
turn,  after  the  association  itself  has  joined  the  N.  F.  P.  A., 
become  an  Associate  Member  of  the  N.  F.  P.  A. 

All  of  this  can  be  found  in  the  copy  of  Articles  of  Asso- 
ciation of  the  N.  F.  P.  A.,  which  is  obtainable  on  application 
to  the  Secretary  at  Chicago. 

177 


The  N.  F.  P.  A.  was  organized,  and  is  dominated  to-day, 
by  the  combined  insurance  organizations.  Its  active  member- 
ship is  constituted  of  the  50  different  boards,  more  or  less,  into 
which  the  stock  organization  in  the  United  States  and  Canada 
is  divided  as  I  have  above  outlined ;  and  also  of  the  Inspection 
Department  of  the  Associated  Factory  Mutual  Fire  Insurance 
Companies  and  Factory  Mutual  Laboratories ;  and  of  the  fol- 
lowing independent  organizations,  viz. :  The  American  Insti- 
tute of  Architects,  the  American  Institute  of  Electric  Engi- 
neers, the  American  Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers,  the 
American  Street  and  Inter-Urban  Railway  Association,  the 
American  Warehouseman's  Association,  the  American  Water 
Works  Association,  International  Association  of  Fire  Engi- 
neers, National  Association  of  Master  Sheet  MetaT  Workers 
of  United  States,  and  National  Electrical  Contractors  Associa- 
tion. 

On  these  insurance  boards  is  a  representative  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad,  one  of  the  largest  private  insurance  inter- 
ests in  the  United  States. 

This  N.  F.  P.  A.  represents  the  technical  engineering 
organizations  of  the  country  engaged  in  studying  the  sci- 
ence of  fire  prevention,  composed  of  the  entire  insurance 
organization  as  well  as  of  many  other  national  organiza- 
tions interested  in  the  science  of  fire  prevention ;  and  I  con- 
tend that  it  should  also  number  among  its  members  not 
only  all  trade  associations  of  the  United  States,  but  every 
member  of  these  associations. 

To  take  this  step  it  is  necessary  for  any  association  to 
appoint  a  committee  on  Fire  Prevention — the  chairman  of 
that  committee  to  be  its  representative  as  the  active  member 
of  the  N.  F.  P.  A.  because  by  the  appointment  of  such  a 
committee  interest  is  shown  in  the  science  of  Fire  Preven- 
tion, which  the  N.  F.  P.  A.  was  formed  to  promote.  The 
practical  benefit  derived  from  this  connection  is  the  indi- 
vidual associate  membership  that  each  member  can  then 
take  for  $5.00  per  annum.  This  associate  membership  will 
bring  to  each  such  member  every  technical  publication  of 
the  N.  F.  P.  A.  (which  they  issue  continuously  and  liber- 
ally), containing  the  reports  of  their  committees  (with  the 
laboratories  of  both  the  stock  and  mutual  insurance  organ- 
izations behind  them),  embodying  their  practical  and  tech- 
nical advice  on  all  subjects  relating  to  fire  prevention  and 
protection.  If  the  individual  handling  fire  insurance  col- 
lectively on  property  all  over  the  country  receives  and 
studies  these  reports  as  they  come  in  day  by  day  and  week 
by  week,  that  man  in  time  will  himself  become  educated 
as  a  fire  prevention  expert,  and  will  in  turn  reflect  this 


knowledge  in  a  better  fire  prevention  condition  of  the  prop- 
erty in  his  charge;  and  inevitably  this  influence  in  time 
will  result  in  greater  safety  for  life  and  property,  and  a  re- 
duction in  fire  insurance  charges  in  each  instance.  This 
process  of  education  will  constantly  expand,  and  reflect 
itself  in  better  municipal  fire  prevention  conditions  all  over 
the  country. 

The  endorsement  by  this  Authoritative  Conference  will 
give  to  this  movement,  which  is  of  such  undisputed  moment 
to  the  resources  of  the  country  in  life  and  wealth,  notable 
and  widely  announced  approval.  It  will  also  constitute  the 
first  step  in  the  study  and  broad  use  of  some  authoritative 
building  code  which  not  only  relates  so  gravely  to  fire  waste 
but  also  ramifies  into  many  other  questions  of  first  impor- 
tance affecting  the  health  and  happiness  of  the  bulk  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  country. 

I  trust  that  in  time  an  American  Fire  Prevention  Asso- 
ciation may  come  into  being;  organized  nationally — with 
state  departments,  and  municipal  bureaus,  comprising  in 
its  membership  in  each  municipality  every  business  house 
and  individual  in  sympathy  with  reducing  fire  loss.  This 
membership,  informed  and  animated  with  this  object,  can 
use  laws  and  ordinances  in  existence  in  every  city  to  better 
present  conditions,  and  if  such  do  not  now  exist,  can  exert 
their  combined  influence  to  demand  the  creation  of  the 
necessary  authority.  Every  man  and  woman  in  the  country 
should  be  an  ally  of  this  movement;  and  should  become 
posted  about  the  facts  in  the  case ;  and  should  have  under 
law  authority  to  report  any  dangerous  or  illegal  conditions 
noted  in  any  building,  anywhere,  and  at  any  time,  to  the 
proper  authorities ;  and  be  able  to  require  prompt,  effective 
and  reasonable  correction — just  as  agents  and  members  of 
the  Society  for  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  can  now 
inquire  into  and  resist  on  the  spot  abuses  of  that  nature. 
The  constant  fear  of  fire  is  in  every  breast,  as  witness  the 
protection  of  a  policy  on  most  property,  and  the  incorpora- 
tion of  fire  insurance  in  most  deeds  of  trust,  and  its  usual 
requirement  as  a  basis  for  mercantile  credit.  The  final 
thought  of  the  average  householder  throughout  the  land 
before  retiring  to  rest  is  to  examine  the  fire  or  furnace  in 
his  house.  The  fact  that  this  danger  is  so  ever  present 
everywhere  tends  in  itself  to  limit  opposition  to  it,  because 
the  fear  is  a  habit,  and  in  a  measure  subconscious ;  but  the 
moral  support  of  the  country,  which  is  the  basis  of  every 
great  movement,  could,  beyond  question  to  my  mind,  be 
rapidly  and  effectively  organized  to  oppose  present  fire 
waste.  The  frequent,  irregular  and  unrelated  newspaper 

179 


comment  on  fire  losses  shows  the  disposition  of  the  daily 
press  in  the  matter,  and  its  aid  could  doubtless  be  safely 
counted  upon  to  regularly  disseminate  more  systematized 
information,  when  the  need  of  a  thorough  educational  cam- 
paign on  the  subject  is  properly  brought  to  their  attention. 
If  the  people  of  the  country  will  generally  unite  in  studying 
and  working  out  this  problem,  I  feel  safe  in  estimating  that 
in  ten  years  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  current  fire  loss  in 
the  United  States  will  disappear,  and  upwards  of  $200,000,- 
ooo  of  wealth  now  absolutely  and  ruthlessly  destroyed  will 
annually  be  saved — a  satisfactory  interest  on  $5,000,000,000 
added  to  our  national  assets,  and  countless  lives  and  untold 
suffering  saved. 

POWELL  EVANS 


180 


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NOV21  1974  14 


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Ore  S   fM 


DUENRLF    MAR  2  6  1985 


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AUTO  OtS&Alfi  04*88 


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